Imp  J.Ri&oelC" 


THE    ROSE: 


HISTORY,  POETRY,  CULTURE, 


AND 


CLASSIFICATION. 


BY    S.   B.   PARSONS 


NEW  YORK. 

WILEY  &  PUTNAM,  161  BROADWAY. 
1847. 


I    I  / 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1847,  by 

S.  B.  PARSONS, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


Stereotyped  by  C.  Davison  &  Co., 
33  Gold  street,  N.  Y. 


PREFACE*. 


THE  commencement  and  partial  preparation  of  this  work  assisted 
to  beguile  the  tedium  of  a  winter's  residence  from  home,  where  even 
Orange  and  Magnolia  groves,  with  the  luxuriant  vegetation  of  a  semi- 
tropical  region,  could  scarcely  dispel  the  ennui  attending  a  life  of 
idleness.  Our  especial  object  has  been  to  throw  around  the  culture 
of  the  Rose  a  halo  of  pleasant  thoughts  and  associations  ;  and  while  to 
the  mere  cultivator  there  may  seem  much  irrelevant  matter  of  his- 
tory, poetry,  and  the  like,  we  think  that  it  will  not  thus  seem  to  all. 
For  the  classical  scholar,  the  early  history  of  the  Rose,  and  its  con- 
nection with  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  two  great  nations  of  a 
former  age,  will  impart  to  it  no  slight  interest ;  while  the  various 
poetic  effusions,  which  we.  have  endeavored  to  string  together  in  a 
multifarious  garland,  will  clothe  our  favorite  flower  with  additional 
charms  in  the  eyes  of  many,  and  render  it  perhaps  more  attractive 
with  the  gentler  sex,  to  whom  pre-eminently  belong  the  culture  and 
the  care  of  flowers. 

For  many  interesting  facts  in  the  History  and  Culture  of  the  Rose, 
we  are  indebted  to  Deslongchamps,  Vibert,  Laffay,  and  several  anony- 
mous writers.  To  the  former  we  wish  most  fully  to  express  our  obli- 
gations, both  for  the  plan  of  this  work  and  for  many  interesting  facts 
and  researches,  to  which  we  cannot  conveniently  attach  his  name  in 
the  body  of  the  work. 

Upon  the  classification  we  have  bestowed  much  thought,  and  al- 
though we  do  not  feel  quite  satisfied  with  the  system  we  have  adopted, 
it  is  the  best  that  occurs  to  us  in  the  present  condition  of  rose  culture. 
The  amateur  will,  we  think,  find  the  labor  of  selection  much  dimin- 
ished by  the  increased  simplicity  of  the  mode  we  have  adopted,  while 
the  commercial  gardener  will  in  nowise  be  injured  by  the  change. 


IV  PREFACE. 


In  directions  for  culture,  we  give  the  results  of  our  own  experience, 
and  have  not  hesitated  to  avail  ourselves  of  any  satisfactory  results 
in  the  experience  of  others,  which  might  enhance  the  utility  of  the 
work. 

The  colored  engravings  were  drawn  from  nature,  by  one  of  the  best 
Parisian  artists,  and  are  deemed  correct  portraits. 

While  we  do  not  claim  exemption  from  hyper  criticism  in  any  form, 
we  readily  express  our  willingness  to  be  ever  open  to  conviction,  in  a 
field  where,  among  the  varied  results  of  experiment  and  skill,  there 
is  much  room  for  difference  of  opinion. 

For  our  labor  we  shall  feel  abundantly  compensated,  if  the  publica- 
tion of  this  work  shall  in  any  way  tend  to  produce  a  more  general  ad- 
miration and  increased  culture  of  the  most  beautiful  denizen  of  the 
floral  kingdom.  S.  B.  P. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE 

Early  History  of  the  Rose,  and  Fables  respecting  its  origin.  -      -        7 

CHAPTER  II. 
Luxurious  Use  of  the  Rose, 14 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Rose  in  Ceremonies  and  Festivals,  and  in  the  Adornment  of  Burial 
Places 21 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Rose  in  the  Middle  Ages, 29 

CHAPTER  V. 
Perfumes  of  the  Rose, 38 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Medical  Properties  of  the  Rose,  51 

CHAPTER  VII. 
General  Remarks,  --------------55 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Poetry  of  the  Rose, 61 

CHAPTER   IX. 
General  Culture  of  the  Rose, 127 

CHAPTER  X. 
Soil,  Situation,  and  Planting,     -  146 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Pruning  and  Training, 151 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Potting  and  Forcing, 157 

1* 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
Propagation, 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Multiplication  by  Seed  and  Hybridizing,    - 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Diseases  of  the  Rose, 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Botanical  Classification, 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Garden  Classification, 


PAGE 
168 


181 
191 
211 
237 


HISTORY  OF  THE  ROSE. 


CHAPTER   I. 


THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  ROSE,  AND  FABLES  RESPECTING 

ITS  ORIGIN. 

ERY  little  is  known  of  the  early  history  of  the 
Rose,  or  who  were  its  first  cultivators ;  and  on 
this  point  all  is  conjecture.  Mention  of  it  is 
made  in  the  ancient  Coptic  manuscripts,  while 
nothing  concerning  it  can  be  distinguished,  with 
any  degree  of  certainty,  on  the  Egyptian 
monuments  which  are  left  us.  Bocastre,  the  French  traveler, 
observes,  that  he  carefully  searched  all  the  monuments  in 
Egypt,  and  could  find  neither  sculpture  norw  painting,  figure 
nor  hieroglyphic,  that  would  lead  us  to  suppose  that  the  Rose 
was  cultivated  by  the  ancient  Egyptians.  We  are,  however, 
induced  to  believe  that  this  beautiful  flower  was  known  to 
them,  from  the  fact  that  several  varieties  are  now  found  in 
Egypt.  Dr.  Delile,  Director  of  the  Botanic  Garden  at  Mont- 
pelier,  and  with  whom  we  enjoyed  some  pleasant  intercourse 
during  a  recent  visit  to  that  place,  was  with  Napoleon  in  his 
expedition  to  Egypt.  In  his  valuable  published  account  of 
that  expedition,  he  mentions  that  he  found  there  two  varieties 
of  the  Rose — Rosa  alba  and  Rosa  centifolia  ;  and  there  is  also 
reason  to  believe,  that  under  Domitian  the  Egyptians  cultivated 


8  EARLY    HISTORY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

another  variety — Rosa  bifera.  It  is  quite  probable  that  the  Rose 
was  planted  in  the  celebrated  gardens  of  Babylon,  the  formation 
of  which  is  attributed  to  Semiramis,  about  1200  years  before  the 
Christian  era ;  and  it  also  appears  probable,  from  the  testimony 
of  modern  travelers,  that  several  kinds  of  roses  crossed  over 
into  Persia. 

It  is  very  certain  that  the  Rose  was  cultivated  by  the  Jews 
during  the  reign  of  Solomon,  about  two  centuries  after  Semi- 
ramis ;  for  mention  of  this  flower  is  made  in  the  Scripture  books 
attributed  to  that  king.  In  the  Song  of  Solomon,  he  says : 
"  I  am  the  Rose  of  Sharon  and  the  Lily  of  the  valleys ;"  and  in 
the  Apocryphal  Wisdom  of  Solomon — "  Let  us  crown  ourselves 
with  rose-buds  before  they  be  withered." 

It  also  appears,  by  several  passages  of  the  Book  of  Ecclesi- 
asticus,  the  author  of  which  lived  about  700  years  after  Solo- 
mon, that  the  Jews  possessed  beautiful  gardens  of  roses,  particu- 
larly at  Jericho.  "  I  was  exalted  like  a  palm-tree  in  Engaddi, 
and  as  a  rose-plant  in  Jericho  :"  xxiv.  14.  "  Hearken  unto  me,  ye 
holy  children,  and  bud  forth  as  a  rose  growing  by  the  brook  of 
the  field :"  xxxix.  13.  "  And  as  the  flower  of  roses  in  the 
spring  of  the  year  :"  1.  8.  These  passages  prove  that  this 
most  fertile  and  beautiful  portion  of  Palestine  abounded  in 
roses,  palms  and  cedars.  They  no  longer,  however,  abound ; 
for  while  "the  cedars  wave  on  Lebanon,"  and  the  solitary 
palm  stands  in  its  isolated  beauty,  the  Rose  has  entirely  disap- 
peared ;  and  that  now  called  the  Rose  of  Jericho,  is  but  a  little 
plant  of  the  family  of  Cruciferce.  The  Greeks  cultivated  the 
Rose  at  an  early  period,  during  the  time  of  Homer,  who  lived 
about  200  years  after  the  wise  Hebrew  monarch.  In  the 
Iliad  and  Odyssey  he  borrows  the  brilliant  colors  of  the  Rose  to 
paint  the  rising  of  the  sun.  Aurora,  according  to  this  poet,  has 
fingers  of  roses,  and  perfumes  the  air  with  roses.  Few  poets 
are  more  celebrated  than  Homer  for  beauty  of  conception,  and 
for  his  frequent  similes  borrowed  from  natural  objects.  His 
selection,  in  this  instance,  evinces  that  the  Rose  was  neither 
an  unknown  nor  an  unadmired  flower.  Herodotus,  who  lived 


EARLY    HISTORY    OF    THE    ROSE.  9 

about  400  years  before  the  Christian  era,  mentions  that  in  Mace- 
donia, in  the  gardens  which  were  supposed  to  have  belonged  to 
Midas,  there  were  roses  of  sixty  petals,  which  grew  spontaneously 
without  culture,  and  emitted  a  most  delightful  perfume. 

Ancient  writings  are  full  of  allusions  to  the  Rose  and  fabulous 
accounts  of  its  origin.  From  its  brilliant  colors,  melting  into 
each  other  as  the  shades  of  night  melt  into  the  glowing  richness 
of  the  rising  sun,  it  was  frequently  consecrated  to  Aurora.  It 
was  also  consecrated  to  Harpocrates,  the  patron  of  Silence,  of 
which  it  was  considered  the  symbol.  Thus  the  expression  "sub 
rosa  "  (under  the  Rose),  signified  that  all  that  was  said  should 
remain  secret ;  and  there  is  scarcely  used  a  more  expressive  de- 
vice for  a  seal,  than  the  simple  figure  of  a  Rose.  It  was  the  cus- 
tom, in  some  of  the  northern  countries,  to  suspend  a  Rose  over  the 
table  in  the  dining-room,  reminding  the  guests  that  silence  should 
be  observed  respecting  all  that  might  be  said  during  the  meal. 

Anacreon,  Bion,  Theocritus,  Apollodorus,  and  others,  relate 
various  fables  respecting  its  origin  and  its  obtaining  the  bright 
color  for  which  it  is  distinguished. 

One  fable  relates  that  Flora,  having  found  the  dead  body  of  one 
of  her  favorite  nymphs,  whose  beauty  could  only  be  equalled  by  her 
virtue,  implored  the  assistance  of  all  the  Olympian  deities,  to  aid 
her  in  changing  it  into  a  flower,  which  all  others  should  ac- 
knowledge to  be  their  queen.  Apollo  lent  the  vivifying  power  of 
his  beams,  Bacchus  bathed  it  in  nectar,  Vertumnus  gave  its  per- 
fume, Pomona  its  fruit,  and  Flora  herself  gave  its  diadem  of 
flowers.  A  beetle  is  often  represented  on  antique  gems,  as  expir- 
ing, surrounded  by  roses  ;  arid  this  is  supposed  to  be  an  emblem 
of  luxurious  enervation ;  the  beetle  being  said  to  have  such  an 
antipathy  to  roses,  that  the  smell  of  them  will  cause  its  death. 

From  the  earliest  period,  the  Greeks  gave  to  the  Rose  the  pref- 
erence over  all  other  plants,  and  distinguished  it  as  the  "  Queen 
of  Flowers."  In  the  fragments  which  still  exist  of  Sappho,  who 
lived  about  600  years  before  the  Christian  era,  there  are  lines  in 
which  the  Rose  is  placed  in  the  highest  rank. 

It   is,  however,  in  the  ode  which  Anacreon  has  especially 


10  EARLY   HISTORY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

devoted  to  the  praise  of  the  Rose,  that  there  seems  a  truly  enthu- 
siastic love  for  that  beautiful  flower.  Nothing  which  has  been 
written  on  this  subject,  can  equal  the  beauty  of  this  little  gem, 
even  clothed,  as  it  is,  in  the  somewhat  inflated  style  of  the  au- 
thor. It  will  be  found  on  another  page. 

Since  Sappho  and  Anacreon,  many  poets,  both  ancient  and 
modern,  have  celebrated,  in  their  songs,  the  charming  qualities 
of  the  Rose.  They  have  chosen  it  for  an  emblem  of  the  most 
beautiful  things — for  the  most  pleasing  and  delightful  com- 
parisons ;  and  they  have  united  in  making  it  the  symbol  of  inno- 
cence, of  modesty,  of  grace,  and  of  beauty.  Quite  a  volume 
might  be  collected  of  all  the  verses  and  pleasant  sentences  that 
have  been  inspired  by  the  elegant  form  of  the  Rose — its  charm- 
ing color  and  delightful  fragrance.  Some  of  these  we  have  in- 
serted in  another  part  of  the  work.  Nothing  proves  better  the 
preference  which  has  always  existed  for  this  beautiful  flower, 
than  the  thoughts  expressed  by  Sappho.  Anacreon  and  the 
other  poets  of  antiquity  have  since  imitated  her  in  almost  every 
language,  and  the  lines  of  these  have  sacrificed  nothing  of  her 
elegance  and  freshness. 

The  poets  and  writers  of  the  East  have  abundantly  celebrated, 
in  their  works,  the  beauties  of  the  Rose.  According  to  the  Boun- 
Dehesch,  of  Zoroaster,  the  stem  of  that  flower  was  free  from 
thorns  until  the  entrance  of  Ahrimanus  (the  evil  one)  into  the 
world ;  the  universal  spirit  of  evil,  according  to  their  doctrine, 
affecting  not  only  man  but  also  the  inferior  animals,  and  even 
the  very  trees  and  plants.  The  same  work  states,  that  every 
flower  is  appropriated  to  a  particular  angel,  and  that  the  hun- 
dred-leaved Rose  (Rosa  centifolia)  is  consocrated  to  an  archangel 
of  the  highest  order.  Basil,  one  of  the  early  fathers,  had  un- 
doubtedly seen  these  passages  in  oriental  works,  when  he  related 
that  at  the  creation  of  the  world  the  Rose  had  no  thorns,  and 
that  they  were  gradually  furnished  with  them  as  mankind  be- 
came more  corrupt. 

The  oriental  writers  also  represent  the  nightingale  as  sighing 
for  the  love  of  the  Rose ;  and  many  beautiful  stanzas  have  arisen 


EARLY    HISTORY    OF    THE    ROSE.  11 

from  this  fable.  According  to  the  Language  of  Flowers  ;  "  In  a 
curious  fragment  by  the  celebrated  Persian  poet  Attar,  entitled 
Bulbul  Namehj  the  Book  of  the  Nightingale,  all  the  birds  appeal- 
before  Solomon,  and  charge  the  nightingale  with  disturbing  their 
rest,  by  the  broken  and  plaintive  strains  which  he  warbles  forth 
all  the  night,  in  a  sort  of  frenzy  and  intoxication.  The' nightin- 
gale is  summoned,  questioned,  and  acquitted  by  the  wise  king ; 
because  the  bird  assures  him,  that  his  vehement  love  for  the  Rose 
drives  him  to  distraction,  and  causes  him  to  break  forth  into 
those  passionate  and  touching  complaints  which  are  laid  to  his 
charge."  The  same  work  also  mentions  that  the  Persians  assert, 
that  "  the  nightingale,  in  spring,  flutters  around  the  rose-bushes, 
uttering  incessant  complaints,  till,  overpowered  by  the  strong 
scent,  he  drops  stupified  on  the  ground.  The  invention  of  these 
fables,  extravagant  as  they  are,  evince  the  Persian  fondness  for 
this  beautiful  flower.  The  Ghebers,  or  Persian  fire-worshipers, 
believe  that  Abraham  was  thrown  into  the  fire  by  Nimrod,  when 
the  flame  turned  into  a  bed  of  roses.  According  to  the  Hindoo 
mythology,  Pagoda  Siri,  one  of  the  wives  of  Vishnu,  was  found 
in  a  rose. 

Among  the  many  stories  of  roses  in  the  East,  is  that  of  the 
philosopher  Zeb,  related  by  Madame  de  Latour.  "  There  was  at 
Amadan,  in  Persia,  an  academy  with  the  following  rules :  Its 
members  must  think  much,  write  a  little,  and  be  as  silent  as  pos- 
sible. The  learned  Zeb,  celebrated  through  all  the  East,  learning 
that  there  was  a  vacancy  in  the  academy,  endeavored  to  obtain 
it,  but  arrived,  unfortunately,  too  late.  The  academy  was 
annoyed  because  it  had  given  to  power  what  belonged  to  merit, 
and  the  president,  not  knowing  how  to  express  a  refusal  without 
mortifying  the  assembly,  caused  a  cup  to  be  brought,  wrhich  he 
filled  so  full  of  water,  that  a  single  drop  more  would  have  made 
it  run  over.  The  wise  philosopher  understood,  by  that  emblem, 
that  no  place  remained  for  him,  and  was  retiring  sadly,  when  he 
perceived  a  rose  petal  at  his  feet.  At  that  sight,  he  took  courage, 
seized  the  petal,  and  placed  it  so  delicately  on  the  water,  that  not 
a  single  drop  escaped.  At  this  ingenious  allusion  to  the  rules  of 


12  EARLY    HISTORY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

the  academy,  the  whole  assembly  clapped  their  hands,  and  the 
philosopher  was  admitted  as  a  member."  Madame  de  Genlis 
relates  very  nearly  the  same  anecdote,  but  attributes  it  to  Abdul- 
kadri,  a  person  celebrated  among  the  Turks,  who  was  desirous  of 
residing  at  Babylon,  where  they  were  unwilling  to  receive  him. 

The  Turks  themselves,  matter  of  fact  as  they  are,  have  also 
seen  something  marvelous  in  the  beautiful  and  vivid  tints  which 
the  hand  of  nature  has  painted  on  the  corolla  of  the  Rose  ;  but 
their  imagination,  less  glowing  than  that  of  the  Greeks,  furnished 
them  an  idea  more  singular  than  pleasing.  They  suppose  that 
the  Rose  owed  its  origin  to  the  perspiration  which  fell  from 
Mahomet ;  for  which  reason  they  never  tread  upon  a  rose-leaf, 
or  suffer  one  to  lie  on  the  ground. 

Meshilu,  the  Turkish  poet,  speaks  of  "  a  pavilion  of  roses,  as 
the  seat  of  pleasure  raised  in  the  garden;"  of  '-'roses  like  the 
bright  cheeks  of  beautiful  maidens;"  of  the  time  when  "the 
plants  were  sick,  and  the  rose-bud  hung  its  thoughtful  head  on 
its  bosom  ;"  and  of  the  "dew,  as  it  falls,  being  changed  into  rose- 
water."  They  also  sculpture  a  rose  on  the  tomb-stone  of  a  female 
,who  dies  unmarried. 

The  early  Roman  Catholics  have  made  the  Rose  the  subject  of 
various  miraculous  events — one  of  which  is  attributed  to  the 
canonized  Elizabeth,  Queen  of  Hungary.  As  the  French  author, 
Montalembert,  relates  it  in  his  history  of  that  queen,  Elizabeth 
loved  to  carry  to  the  poor  herself,  by  stealth,  not  only  money,  but 
even  food  and  other  things  which  she  had  provided  for  them. 
She  went  thus  loaded  and  on  foot,  by  the  steep  and  hidden  paths 
which  led  from  the  chateau  to  the  town,  and  to  the  cottages  in 
the  neighboring  valleys.  One  day,  when,  accompanied  by  her 
favority  maid,  she  was  descending  by  a  rough  and  scarcely  visi- 
ble path,  carrying  under  her  cloak  some  bread,  meat,  eggs,  and 
other  food,  for  distribution  among  the  poor,  she  was  suddenly  met 
by  her  husband,  who  was  returning  from  the  chase.  Astonished 
to  see  her  thus  bending  under  the  weight  of  her  burden,  he  said 
to  her,  "  Let  me  see  what  you  are  carrying."  At  the  same  time 
he  threw  open  the  cloak,  which  she  held,  with  terror,  to  her 


EARLY    HISTORY    OP    THE    ROSE.  13 

breast,  but  found,  as  the  legend  says,  nothing  there  but  some 
white  and  red  roses,  the  most  beautiful  he  had  ever  seen. 

D'Orbessan,  in  his  work  on  the  Rose,  states  that,  in  the  church 
of  Sainte-Luzanne,  at  Rome,  is  a  mosaic  of  the  time  of  Charle- 
magne, in  which  that  prince  is  represented  in  a  square  mantle, 
and  on  his  knees,  while  St.  Peter  is  placing  in  his  hands  a  stan- 
dard covered  with  roses. 

Michaud,  in  his  Biographic  Universelle,  speaks  of  Clemence 
Isaure,  a  French  lady,  who  lived  in  the  latter  part  of  the  15th 
century.  She  bequeathed  to  the  academy  of  Toulouse  a  large 
income,  exclusively  for  the  celebration  of  floral  games,  and  for 
the  distribution  of  five  prizes  for  as  many  pieces  of  poetry.  The 
prizes  consisted  of  an  amaranth  and  rose  of  gold,  and  of  a  violet, 
marigold,  and  lily,  of  silver.  The  will  also  required  that  every 
three  years,  on  the  day  of  the  commencement  of  the  floral  games, 
among  other  ceremonies  to  be  observed,  the  members  of  the 
academy  should  visit  and  spread  flowers  upon  her  tomb.  Ron- 
sard,  the  French  poet,  having  gained  the  first  prize  in  the  'floral 
games,  received,  in  place  of  the  accustomed  rose,  a  silver  image 
of  Minerva.  Mary,  Q,ueen  of  Scots,  was  so  much  delighted  with 
Ronsard's  beautiful  poetry  on  the  Rose,  that  she  sent  him  a  mag- 
nificent rose  of  silver,  valued  at  £500,  with  this  inscription : — 
"  A  Ronsard.  VApollon  de  la  source  des  Muses" 

2 


CHAPTER    II. 


LUXURIOUS   USE  OF   THE  ROSE. 

HE  ancients  possessed,  at  a  very  early  period, 
the  luxury  of  roses,  and  the  Romans  brought 
it  to  perfection  by  covering  with  beds  of  these 
flowers  the  couches  whereon  their  guests 
were  placed,  and  even  the  tables  which  were 
used  for  banquets  j1  while  some  emperors 
went  so  far  as  to  scatter  them  in  the  halls 
of  their  palace.  At  Rome,  they  were,  at  one  time,  brought  from 
Egypt,  in  that  part  of  the  year  when  Italy  could  not  produce 
them;  but  afterwards,  in  order  to  render  .these  luxuries  more 
easily  attainable  during  the  winter,  by  the  leaders  of  the  ton  in 
that  capital  city  of  the  world's  empire,  their  gardeners  found  the 
means  of  producing,  in  green-houses  warmed  by  means  of  pipes 
filled  with  hot  water,  an  artificial  temperature,  which  kept  roses 
and  lilies  in  bloom  until  the  last  of  the  year.  Seneca  declaimed, 
with  a  show  of  ridicule,  against  these  improvements;2  butr 
without  being  discouraged  by  the  reasoning  of  the  philosopher, 
the  Romans  carried  their  green-houses  to  such  perfection,  that, 
at  length,  during  the  reign  of  Domitian,  when  the  Egyptians 


i  "  Tempora  subtilius  pinguntur  tecta  coronis, 

Et  latent  injecta  splendida  mensa  Rosa."        (Ovm,  lib.  v.) 
2  "  Non  vivunt  contra  naturam,  qui  hieme  concupiscunt  Rosam  1   Fomentoque 
aquarum  calentium,  et  calorum  apta  imitatione,  bruma  lilium  florem  vernum, 
exprimunt."  (Seneca,  epistle  122-8.) 


LUXURIOUS    USE    OF    THE    ROSE.  15 

thought  to  pay  him  a  splendid  compliment  in  honor  of  his  birth- 
day, by  sending  him  roses  in  the  midst  of  winter,  their  present 
excited  nothing  but  ridicule  and  disdain,  so  abundant  had  winter 
roses  become  at  Rome,  by  the  efforts  of  art.  Few  of  the  Latin 
poets  have  been  more  celebrated  for  their  epigrammatic  wit  than 
Martial ;  and  his  epigram  "  to  Ceesar,  on  the  Winter  Roses," 
serves  to  show  that  the  culture  of  roses  at  Rome  was  carried  to 
such  perfection,  as  to  make  the  attempts  of  foreign  competitors 
subjects  only  for  ridicule.3 

"  The  ambitious  inhabitants  of  the  land  watered  by  the  Nile 
have  sent  thee,  O  Csesar,  the  roses  of  winter,  as  a  present  valu- 
able for  its  novelty.  But  the  boatman  of  Memphis  will  laugh 
at  the  gardens  of  Pharaoh  as  soon  as  he  has  taken  one  step  in 
thy  capital  city — for  the  spring,  in  its  charms,  and  the  flowers  in 
their  fragrance  and  beauty,  equal  the  glory  of  the  fields  of  Pses- 
tum.  Wherever  he  wanders  or  casts  his  eyes,  every  street  is  bril- 
liant with  garlands  of  roses.  And  thou,  O  Nile !  must  now, 
yield  to  the  fogs  of  Rome.  Send  us  thy  harvests,  and  we  will 
send  thee  roses." 

By  this  passage  it  is  evident  that  the  cultivation  of  roses, 
among  the  ancients,  was  much  farther  advanced  than  is  gene- 
rally supposed.  In  another  epigram  Martial  speaks  again  of 
roses,  which  were  formerly  seen  only  in  .the  spring,  but  which 
in  his  time  had  become  common  during  the  winter.  We  are 

3  AD   C^ESAREM   DE   ROSIS    HlBERNIS. 

"  Ut  nova  dona  tibi,  Caesa,  Nilotiea  tellus 
Miserat  hibernas  ambitiosa  Rosas : 
Navita  derisit  Pharios  Memphiticus  hortos, 
Urbis  ut  intravit  limina  prima  tuae. 
Tantus  veris  honos,  et  odore  gratia  florae, 
Tantaque  Paestani  gloria  ruris  erat. 
Sic  quacumque  vagus,  gressum  oculosque  ferebat, 
Textilibus  sertis  omne  rubebant  iter. 
At  tu  Romanae  jussus  jam  cedere  brumoe, 
Mitte  tuas  messes,  accipe,  Nile,  Rosas." 

MARTIAL,  lib.  vi.,  epig.  80. 


16  LUXURIOUS    USE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

also  but  copyists  of  the  Romans,  in  the  cultivation  of  flowers  in 
windows ;  for  vases  of  every  style  of  beauty,  and  filled  with 
roses,  were  a  frequent  ornament  of  their  windows.  Martial  says 
that  a  miserly  patron  had  made  him  a  present  of  a  very  small 
estate,  and  adds  that  he  has  a  much  better  country  place  in  his 
window.  Much  that  illustrates  the  use  which  the  ancients  made  of 
roses  in  their  ceremonies,  in  their  festivals,  and  in  their  domestic 
life,  may  be  found  in  various  authors,  evincing  still  more  how 
very  common  the  use  of  them  had  become.  Florus  relates  that 
Antiochus,  king  of  Syria,  being  encamped  in  the  island  of  Eu- 
boea,  under  woven  tents  of  silk  and  gold,  was  not  only  accompa- 
nied by  a  band  of  musicians,  but  that  he  might  yet  more  enhance 
his  pleasures,  he  wished  to  procure  roses  ;  and  although  it  was 
in  the  midst  of  winter,  he  caused  them  to  be  collected  from 
every  quarter. 

The  gallants  of  Rome  were  in  the  habit  of  presenting  their 
favorite  damsels  with  the  first  roses  that  appeared  in  spring; 
and  " Mea  rosa"  was  an  affectionate  expression  they  often  used 
to  their  betrothed. 

We  frequently  find  in  old  Latin  authors,  an  entire  abandon- 
ment to  pleasure  and  excessivfc  luxury  signified  by  such  expres- 
sions as,  living"  in  the  midst  of  roses,  sleeping"  on  roses,  &c. 
(Yivere  in  rosa,  dormire  in  rosa.) 

Seneca  speaks  of  Smyndiride,  the  most  wealthy  and  voluptu- 
ous of  the  Sybarites,  who  could  not  sleep  if  a  single  one  of  the 
rose-petals  with  which  his  bed  was  spread,  happened  to  be  curled. 

Cicero,  in  his  "dejinibus"  alludes  to  the  custom  which  pre- 
vailed at  Rome  at  that  time,  of  reclining  at  the  table  on  couches 
covered  with  roses ;  and  comparing  the  happiness  which  virtue 
gives,  to  the  pleasures  of  luxury,  says  that  "Regulus,  in  his  chains, 
was  more  happy  than  Thorius  drinking  on  a  couch  of  roses  and 
living  in  such  a  manner  that  one  could  scarcely  imagine  any 
rare  and  exquisite  pleasure  of  which  he  did  not  partake." 

The  same  author,  in  his  celebrated  speech  against  Verres,  the 
greatest  extortioner  whose  name  is  recorded  in  history,  reproached 
him  not  only  with  the  outrageous  robberies  and  cruelties  which 


LUXURIOUS    USE    OP    THE    ROSE.  17 

he  committed  during  the  three  years  that  he  was  governor  of 
Sicily,  but  yet  more  with  his  effeminacy  and  licentiousness. 
"  When  spring  commenced,"  said  the  Roman  orator,  "  that  season 
was  not  announced  to  him  by  the  return  of  Zephyr,  nor  by  the 
appearance  of  any  heavenly  sign  ;  it  was  not  until  he  had  seen 
the  roses  bloom,  that  spring  was  visible  to  his  voluptuous  eye. 
In  the  voyages  which  he  made  across  the  province,  he  was  ac- 
customed, after  the  example  of  the  kings  of  Bithynia,  to  be  car- 
ried in  a  litter  borne  by  eight  men,  in  which  he  reposed,  softly 
extended  upon  cushions  made  of  transparent  material  and  filled 
with  roses  of  Malta,  having  in  his  hand  a  net  of  the  finest  linen, 
and  equally  full  of  these  flowers,  whose  fragrance  incessantly 
gratified  his  eager  nostrils." 

Latinus  Pacatus,  in  his  eulogium  on  the  Emperor  Theodosius, 
inveighs  against  the  luxury  of  the  Romans,  whose  sensual  de- 
sires, he  says,  were  not  satisfied  until  they  had  reversed  the 
order  of  the  seasons,  and  produced  roses  in  the  winter  season  to 
crown  their  cup  of  wine,  and  until  their  Falernian  during  the 
summer,  was  cooled  in  large  vessels  filled  with  ice.  The  forcing 
of  roses  in  winter,  is  no  longer  extensively  practiced  in  Rome ; 
but  during  the  summer  they  are  more  abundant,  and  we  recollect 
being  much  struck  with  admiration  of  some  beautiful  hedges  of 
the  Daily  rose  in  the  villas  near  Rome. 

After  reading  the  preceding  statements  of  the  abundance  of 
roses  among  the  ancient  Romans,  it  is  with  some  surprise  that 
we  recollect  the  great  scarcity  of  that  flower  during  the  gayest 
and  most  animated  festival  of  the  modern  Romans — the  Carni- 
val. As  Ave  slowly  walked  along  the  Corso,  submitting  with  as 
quiet  a  grace  as  possible  to  the  various  fantastic  tricks  of  the 
masqued  figures  around  us,  and  occasionally  pelted  with  hands- 
ful  of  sugar-plums  from  the  windows,  or  passing  carriages,  we 
looked  in  vain  for  roses  or  camellias  in  the  numerous  bouquets 
that  were  cleaving  the  air  around  us.  Little  bouquets  of  violets 
were  numerous,  and  the  air  was  thick  with  them,  as  our  eyes, 
nose,  and  mouth  could  bear  striking  witness  ;  and  we  recollect, 
too,  the  contemptuous  curl  of  the  lip,  and  rush  of  the  aris- 

2* 


' 


18  LUXURIOUS    USE    OF   THE    ROSE. 

tocratic  blood  into  the  face  of  a  fair  English  girl,  in  one  of 
the  carriages,  whose  blue  eyes  had  been  nearly  closed  by  an 
awkward  cast  of  one  of  these  petits  bouquets  from  the  hand  of  a 
plebian  performer.  But  we  only  recollect  catching  a  glimpse 
now  and  then,  of  a  single '  rose  or  camellia,  skilfully  passed  by  a 
cavalier  below,  into  the  hands  of  some  dark-eyed  beauty  in  the 
balconies  above ;  the  bright  sparkle  of  whose  eye  convinced  us 
that  the  single  flower  was  of  value,  and  a  mark  of  especial  regard. 
The  Rose  appeared  to  be  valued  as  some  rare  exotic,  and  not 
to  be  idly  bestowed  where  there  was  small  probability  of  its  due 
appreciation ;  it  was  indeed  a  "  rara  flora  in  urbe"  and  quite 
superseded  by  the  very  pretty  and  abundant  violets. 

The  modern  Romans  have  not  only  lost  many  of  the  good 
qualities  of  their  early  ancestors,  but  they  have  also  escaped 
much  of  the  effeminate  softness  which  characterized  the  Romans 
under  some  of  the  later  emperors ;  and  as  belonging  to  this  state 
of  luxury,  the  cultivation  of  the  Rose  has  in  modern  times  been 
much  neglected.  The  homage  of  the  Romans  is  now  reserved 
for  art,  and  the  beautiful  products  of  nature  are  in  their  opinion, 
worthy  only  of  secondary  consideration.  The  Rose  is  now 
mostly  confined  in  that  city  to  the  residences  of  the  wealthier 
classes,  and  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  resumed  its  old  place  in 
Roman  esteem,  until  it  is  again  a  favorite  with  the  mass  of  the 
people. 

When  Cleopatra  went  into  Cilicia  to  meet  Marc  Antony,  she 
gave  him  for  several  successive  days  festivals,  in  which  she  dis- 
played a  truly  royal  magnificence.  She  caused  to  be  placed  in 
the  banqueting  hall  twelve  couches,  each  of  which  would  hold 
three  guests.  The  walls  were  covered  with  purple  tapestry,  in- 
terwoven with  gold ;  all  the  vases  were  of  gold,  admirably  ex- 
ecuted and  enriched  with  precious  stones. 

On  the  fourth  day,  the  queen  carried  her  sumptuousness  so 
far  as  to  pay  a  talent  (about  six  hundred  dollars)  for  a  quantity 
of  roses,  with  which  she  caused  the  floor  of  the  hall  to  be  covered 
to  the  depth  of  eighteen  inches.  These  flowers  were  retained  by 
a  very  fine  net,  in  order  that  the  guests  might  walk  over  them. 


LUXURIOUS    USE    OF    THE    ROSE.  19 

In  connection  with  this  fact,  it  is  curious  to  notice  the  following 
anecdote  related  by  Pliny. 

"  At  the  time  that  Marc  Antony  was  preparing  for  the  battle 
of  Actium,  he  felt  suspicious  of  Cleopatra,  and  made  her  taste  of 
all  the  dishes  which  were  served  up  to  him,  she  all  the  while 
ridiculing  his  fears. 

"One  day,  while  giving  him  a  banquet,  she  placed  on  his 
head  a  crown,  bordered  with  poisoned  flowers  ;  and  when 
Antony  was  heated  with  wine,  she  proposed  that  each  should 
drink  his  crown.  He  at  once  consented,  and  hastening  to 
tear  off  his  crown,  placed  it  in  his  cup  and  was  about  to  drink  it, 
when  the  queen  stopped  him,  saying :  *  Why  do  you  suspect 
me  of  deadly  intentions  towards  your  person  ?  if  it  were  pos- 
sible to  live  without  you,  see  how  easy  I  could  send  you  from 
the  world.'  At  the  same  time  having  ordered  a  criminal  from 
prison,  she  gave  him  the  cup  to  drink,  and  he  expired  in  a 
moment." 

At  a  later  period,  and  after  the  loss  of  the  battle  of  Actium, 
Antony,  not  wishing  to  survive  his  defeat,  from  fear  of  falling 
into  the  hands  of  Augustus,  thrust  himself  through  with  his 
sword,  and  requested  Cleopatra  to  scatter  perfumes  over  his  tomb 
and  to  cover  it  with  joses. 

The  greatest  profusion  of  roses  mentioned  in  ancient  history, 
and  which  is  scarcely  credible,  is  that  which  Suetonius  attributes 
to  Nero.  This  author  says,  that  at  a  fete  which  the  emperor 
gave  in  the  gulf  of  Baise,  when  inns  were  established  on  the 
banks,  and  ladies  of  distinction  played  the  part  of  hostesses,  the 
expense  incurred  for  roses  alone,  was  more  than  four  millions 
of  sesterces — about  $100,000.  Since  Nero,  many  of  his  succes- 
sors have  nearly  equalled  him  in  prodigal  enjoyment  of  the 
luxury  of  roses.  Lucius  Aurelius  Verus,  whose  licentiousness 
and  destitution  of  every  manly  quality  equalled  that  of  the  worst 
emperors,  but  whom  no  one  reproaches  with  any  act  of  cruelty, 
was  the  inventor  of  a  new  species  of  luxury.  He  had  a  couch 
made,  on  which  were  four  raised  cushions,  closed  on  all  sides  by 
a  very  thin  net,  and  filled  with  leaves  of  roses.  Heliogabalus, 


20  LUXURIOUS    USE    OP   THE    ROSE. 

celebrated  for  luxury  and  vice  of  every  kind,  caused  roses  to  be 
crushed  with  the  kernels  of  the  pine  (Pinus  maritima),  in  order 
to  increase  the  perfume.  The  same  emperor  caused  roses  to  be 
scattered  over  the  couches,  the  halls,  and  even  the  porticoes  of  the 
palace,  and  he  renewed  this  profusion  with  flowers  of  every  kind : 
lilies,  violets,  hyacinths,  narcissus,  &c.  Gallien,  another  equally 
cruel  and  luxurious  prince,  lay,  according  to  some  authors,  under 
arbors  of  roses ;  and,  according  to  others,  on  beds  covered  with 
these  flowers.  And  finally,  Carrius,  another  licentious  and  pro- 
digal emperor,  who  reigned  only  a  few  months,  caused  roses  to 
be  scattered  over  the  chambers  of  his  palace,  and  on  the  couches 
upon  which  were  placed  his  guests. 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE  ROSE,  IN  CEREMONIES  AND  FESTIVALS,  AND  IN  THE  ADORN* 
MENT  OF  BURIAL  PLACES. 

MONG  the  ancients,  the  Rose  was  con- 
spicuous in  all  the  sacred  ceremonies, 
and  in  public  and  private  fetes.  The 
Greeks  and  the  Romans  surrounded  the 
statues  of  Venus,  of  Hebe,  and  of  Flora, 
with  garlands  of  roses.  They  were  lavish 
of  these  flowers  at  the  festivals  of  Flora ; 
in  those  of  Juno,  at  Argos,  the  statue  of  the  Olympian  Queen 
was  crowned  with  lilies  and  roses.  In  the  festivals  of  Hymen, 
at  Athens,  the  youth  of  both  sexes,  crowned  with  roses  and 
adorned  with  flowers,  mingled  in  dances  which  were  intended  to 
represent  the  innocence  of  primeval  times.  At  Rome,  in  the  public 
rejoicings,  they  sometimes  strewed  the  streets  with  roses  and  other 
flowers.  It  is  thus  that  Lucretius  gives  a  description  of  the  man 
ner  in  which  was  celebrated  the  festivals  of  Cybele.1 

To  scatter  flowers  on  the  passage  of  the  funeral  procession 
of  a  private  citizen,  was  an  honor  not  common  at  Rome.  Pliny 
informs  us,  however,  that  a  Scipio,  belonging  to  the  illus- 
trious family  of  that  name,  who  while  he  was  tribune,  fulfilled 

i "  Ergo  cum  primum,  magnas  invecta  per  urbes 
Munificat  tacita  mortales  muta  salute ; 
JEre  atque  argento,  sternunt  iter  omne  viarum. 
Largifica  stipe  dilantes,  ninguntque  Rosarum 
Floribus,  umbrantes  matrem  comitumque  catervas." 

LUCRETIUS,  lib.  ii.,  ver.  625. 


:TIUS,  1] 


22  THE    ROSE    IN    CEREMONIES,    FESTIVALS,  ETC. 

his  duties  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people,  dying  without  leaving 
sufficient  to  pay  his  funeral  expenses,  the  people  voluntarily  con- 
tributed to  pay  them,  and  on  the  appearance  of  the  body,  cast 
flowers  upon  its  passage. 

At  Baiae,  when  fetes  were  given  upon  the  water,  the  whole 
surface  of  the  lake  of  Lucina.  appeared  covered  with  roses. 

The  custom  of  encircling  the  head,  of  surrounding  the  neck, 
and  also  the  breast  with  crowns  and  garlands  of  roses,  on  differ- 
ent occasions,  and  particularly  during  the  last  days  of  a  gay 
festival,  when,  after  the  solid  dishes,  they  passed  to  the  dessert 
and  the  rare  wines,  is  well  known  by  the  odes  of  Anacreon,  and 
from  the  writings  of  several  of  the  ancient  poets. 

The  voluptuous  Horace,  when  he  abandoned  himself  to  plea- 
sures, was  always  supplied  with  roses.  In  congratulating  one  of 
his  friends  on  his  safe  return  from  Spain,  he  recommended  that 
these  flowers  should  not  be  wanting  at  the  festival.  On  another 
occasion,  he  told  his  favorite  servant  that  he  cordially  disliked 
the  pompous  displays  of  the  Persians,  and  escaped  them  by 
searching  in  what  place  the  late  Rose  was  found.  Drawing 
a  picture  of  luxurious  ease  for  his  friend  Hirpinus,  he  speaks 
of  "  lying  under  the  shade  of  a  lofty  Plane  or  Pine  tree,  per- 
fuming our  spotless  hair  with  Assyrian  spikenard,  and  crown- 
ing ourselves  with  roses."  We  can  very  well  judge  how  general 
had  become  the  custom  of  making  crowns  of  roses,  from  the 
number  of  times  which  it  is  mentioned  in  Pliny,  and  the  fre- 
quency with  which  Martial  speaks  of  it  in  his  epigrams.  The 
latter  author  also  informs  us,  that  in  the  very  height  of  Roman 
luxury  and  reveling,  the  most  favorable  time  for  soliciting  and 
obtaining  a  favor  was  wrhen  the  patron  was  entirely  given  up 
to  the  pleasures  of  the  table  and  of  roses.2 

Whatever  doubt  may  exist  of  the  use  of  crowns  of  roses,  as 
objects  of  luxury,  it  is  well  authenticated,  that  among  medical 

2  «  Haec  hora  est  tua,  dum  furit  Lyaeus 
Cum  regnat  Rosa,  cum  madent  capilli, 
Tune  me  vel  rigid!  legant  Catones." 

Lib.  x.,  epig.  19. 


THE    ROSE    IN    CEREMONIES,    FESTIVALS,  ETC.  23 

men  of  antiquity,  endeavors  were  made  to  determine  what  kinds 
of  flowers  were  suitable  to  place  in  crowns  without  detriment  to 
health ;  and  according  to  the  report  made  on  this  subject,  the 
parsley,  the  ivy,  the  myrtle,  and  the  Rose  possessed  peculiar 
virtues  for  dissipating  the  fumes  of  the  wine.  According  to 
Athenseus,  a  crown  of  roses  possessed  not  only  the  property  of 
alleviating  pain  in  the  head,  but  had  a  very  refreshing  effect. 

Pliny  mentions  two  Greek  physicians — Mnesitheus  and  Cal- 
limachus,  who  wrote  on  this  subject. 

The  custom  of  crowning  with  roses  had  passed  from  the  Greeks 
to  the  Romans,  and  it  also  existed  among  the  Hebrews,  who  had 
probably  borrowed  it  from  some  of  the  neighboring  nations,  either 
from  the  Egyptians,  in  the  midst  of  whom  they  had  spent  many 
years,  or  from  the  Babylonians,  with  whom  they  had  in  the  cap- 
tivity much  connection.  The  practice  of  this  custom  among  the 
Israelites,  is  attested  by  the  previously  quoted  passage,  in  the  apoc- 
ryphal "Wisdom  of  Solomon." 

At  Rome  it  was  not  only  at  the  religious  festivals  that  they 
crowned  themselves  with  roses  and  other  flowers,  but  it  was  the 
custom  to  wear  these  crowns  during  public  and  private  fetes; 
they  were  strictly  forbidden  at  some  other  times,  and  above  all 
on  certain  public  occasions,  where  to  appear  with  such  an  orna- 
ment, would  pass  for  an  insult  to  a  public  calamity.  Pliny 
informs  us,  that  during  the  second  Punic  war,  which  lasted  six- 
teen years,  a  banker  named  Lucius  Fulvius,  for  looking  from  his 
gallery  on  the  Forum,  and  wearing  a  crown  of  roses  on  his  head, 
was,  by  order  of  the  Senate,  sent  to  prison,  from  which  he  was 
not  liberated  until  the  end  of  the  war. 

This  anecdote,  moreover,  proves  that  crowns  of  roses  were  in 
fashion  at  Rome  at  an  early  period,  and  before  licentiousness  and 
luxury  had  yet  made  many  inroads  upon  the  national  char- 
acter. 

It  may  readily  be  supposed,  that  at  Rome,  under  the  emperors, 
the  use  of  crowns  of  flowers  was  like  every  other  species  of  luxury 
at  that  time,  constantly  on  the  increase.  At  first  they  wore  the 
crowns  interwoven  with  leaves  of  flowers,  then  they  wore  them 


24  THE.  ROSE    IN    CEREMONIES,    FESTIVALS,  ETC. 

composed  partly  of  roses,  and  finally  they  were  not  satisfied  unless 
they  consisted  of  these  flowers  only. 

Martial,  as  we  have  already,  mentioned,  speaks  often  of  his 
crowns  of  roses.  The  crown  sent  by  this  poet  to  his  friend 
Sabinus,  was  composed  entirely  of  these  flowers,  and  he  was 
desirous  that  they  should  be  considered  the  production  of  his  own 
gardens. 

From  the  poverty  of  Turkish  history,  little  is  known  of  the 
early  use  of  the  Rose  among  them.  We  have,  however,  some 
account  of  its  use  among  the  Mohammedan  Persians. 

Although  wine  was  forbidden  by  the  laws  of  Mahomet,  the 
Persians  frequently  made  use  of  it ;  and  in  the  time  of  Tavernier 
and  of  Chardin,  they  frequently  drank  it  to  excess.  One  of  their 
kings,  Soliman  III.,  was  intoxicated  almost  every  day ;  and  it 
was  the  custom  then  in  Persia,  to  serve  the  wine  in  crystal  decan- 
ters, which,  when  the  season  permitted,  they  corked  with  roses. 

The  most  interesting  purpose  to  which  roses  were  devoted, 
was  the  adornment  of  tombs  and  burial-places.  The  Greeks 
employed  generally  for  this  object,  the  myrtle  and  the  amaranth  ; 
but  the  Romans  gave  the  preference  to  the  lily,  the  saffron-plant, 
and  above  all,  the  Rose. 

The  ancients  were  careful  to  renew  the  plants  which  were 
placed  around  the  sepulchral  urn,  in  order  that  it  might  be  sur- 
rounded by  a  continual  spring.  These  flowers  were  regarded  as 
sacred,  and  as  a  relic  of  the  deceased. 

The  Romans  considered  this  pious  care  so  agreeable  to  the 
spirits  of  the  departed,  that  wealthy  citizens  bequeathed  by  will 
entire  gardens,  to  be  reserved  for  furnishing  their  tombs  with 
flowers.  They  also  often  ordered  that  their  heirs,  or  those  to 
whom  they  left  a  legacy  for  the  care  of  their  ashes,  should  meet 
together  every  year,  on  the  anniversary  of  their  death,  and  dine 
near  their  tomb,  scattering  roses  about  the  place.  This  custom 
is  attested  by  several  stories  of  ancient  Roman  tombs.  One  with 
an  ancient  inscription  was  found  at  Ravenna,  and  others  in  some 
other  parts  of  Italy. 

D'Orbessan,  in  his  "Essai  sur  les  Roses?  mentions  having 


THE    ROSE    IN    CEREMONIES,    FESTIVALS,    ETC.  25 

seen,  at  Torcello,  a  city  about  five  miles  from  Venice,  an  inscrip- 
tion of  this  kind,  mentioning  a  donation  made  by  an  emanci- 
pated slave  to  the  assembly  of  the  Centum,  consisting  of  gardens 
and  a  building  to  be  employed  in  celebrating  his  obsequies  and 
those  of  his  master.  It  requested  that  roses  should  not  be  spared, 
and  that  food  should  be  then  distributed  in  abundance.  Gene- 
rally, the  donation  made  on  condition  of  covering  the  funeral 
monument  with  roses,  was  transferred  to  another,  if  that  con- 
dition was  not  fulfilled.  Sometimes  the  most  terrible  maledic- 
tions threatened  those  who  dared  to  violate  these  sacred  gardens. 
That  which  proves  how  frequent  among  the  Romans  was  this 
custom  of  ornamenting  tombs  with  roses,  is,  that  those  who  were 
not  rich  enough  to  make  such  bequests,  often  directed  to  be 
engraved  upon  the  stone  which  covered  their  remains  a  request 
to  the  passers  by  to  scatter  roses  upon  their  tomb.  Some  of  these 
stones  still  exist,  with  the  following  inscription:  " Sparge,  pre- 
cor,  Rosas  supra  meq  busta,  viator"  It  was,  perhaps,  because 
they  compared  the  short  duration  of  human  life  to  the  quick 
fading  existence  of  the  Rose,  that  this  flower  was  devoted  to  the 
burial  place  of  the  dead ;  and  there  can  certainly  be  chosen  no 
more  beautiful  emblem  of  this  transitory  state  of  existence.  This 
supposition  is  somewhat  strengthened  by  the  following  passage 
from  Jerome,  one  of  the  early  Christian  fathers : 

"  The  ancients  scattered  roses  over  the  urns  of  the  deceased,  and  in  their  wills 
ordered  that  these  flowers  should  adorn  their  graves,  and  should  be  renewed  every 
year.  It  was  also  the  custom  for  husbands  to  cast  roses,  violets  and  lilies  on  the 
urns  which  enclosed  the  ashes  of  their  wives.  These  modest  flowers  were  emble- 
matic signs  of  their  grief.  Our  Christians  were  content  to  place  a  Rose  among 
the  ornaments  of  their  graves,  as  the  image  of  life." 

In  Turkey,  females  that  died  unmarried  had  a  rose  sculptured 
at  the  top  of  their  monument. 

At  the  well-known  cemetery  of  Pere  la  Chaise,  which  has 
often  excited  the  ecstasy,  admiration  or  praise  of  many  travelers, 
but  which  in  reality  exhibits  neither  elegance,  sentiment  nor  taste, 
wreaths  of  roses  and  other  flowers  are  frequently  seen  upon  the 
thickly  crowded  tombs,  either  as  mementos  of  affection,  or  in 

3 


26  THE    ROSE    IN    CEREMONIES,    FESTIVALS,  ETC. 

compliance  with  a  popular  custom ;  while  the  street  leading  to 
the  cemetery  is  filled  with  shops  in  wThich  are  exposed  for  sale  the 
wreaths  of  flowers. 

The  prevalence  of  the  same  custom  in  Denmark,  is  alluded  to 
by  Shakespeare,  in  Hamlet,  in  the  scene  of  Ophelia's  burial. 

The  custom  still  remains  also  in  some  parts  of  Great  Britain. 
In  Wales,  when  a  young  girl  dies,  it  is  customary  for  her  female 
companions  to  bring  flowers  with  them  to  her  funeral,  and  place 
them  in  her  coffin.  .  They  plant  lilies  and  snow-drops  over  the 
graves  of  children,  and  wild  and  cultivated  roses  over  those  of 
adults. 

Gwillym,  a  Welsh  poet,  thus  speaks  of  the  custom  in  one  of 
his  elegies  : — "  Oh  !  while  the  season  of  flowers  and  the  tender 
sprays,  thick  of  leaves,  remain,  I  will  pluck  the  roses  from  the 
brakes,  to  be  offered  to  '  the  memory  of  a  child  of  fairest  fame  ; 
humbly  will  I  lay  them  on  the  grave  of  Ivor." 

Evelyn  tells  us  that  "  the  white  rose  was  planted  at  the  grave 
of  a  virgin,  and  her  chaplet  was  tied  with  white  riband,  in  token 
of  her  spotless  innocence  ;  though  sometimes  black  ribands  were 
intermingled,  to  bespeak  the  grief  of  the  survivors.  The  red 
rose  was  occasionally  used  in  remembrance  of  such  as  had  been 
remarkable  for  their  benevolence;  but  roses  in  general  were  ap- 
propriated to  the  graves  of  lovers." 

Drummond,  the  Scotch  poet,  requested  one  of  his  friends  to 
have  the  following  couplet  placed  over  his  grave : 

£f  Here  Damon  lies,  whose  songs  did  sometimes  grace 
The  murmuring  Esk : — may  roses  shade  the  place." 

The  first  Christians  disapproved  of  the  use  of  these  flowers, 
either  at  'their  festivals  or  as  ornaments  for  their  tombs,  on 
account  of  its  connection  with  the  pagan  mythology,  and  the 
custom  thus  became  extinct.  Tertullian  wrote  a  book  against 
crowns  and  garlands.  Clement  of  Alexandria  thought  it  im- 
proper that  Christians  should  crown  themselves  with  roses.  A 
little  later,  however,  Christians  relaxed  from  this  strictness,  and 
the  Christian  poet  Prudence,  did  not  fear  to  invite  his  brethren 
"  to  cover  with  violets  and  with  verdure,  and  to  surround  with 


THE    ROSE    IN    CEREMONIES,    FESTIVALS,    ETC.  27 

perfumes  those  bones  which  the  voice  of  the  All-Powerful  would 
one  day  restore  to  life." 

The  Roman  Catholics  of  this  day  admit  flowers  to  their 
churches  and  ceremonies,  and  on  feast  days  they  adorn  the  altars 
with  bouquets  and  garlands.  At  the  most  imposing  of  these 
solemnities,  the  day  of  the  "  Fete-Dieu,"  rose  petals,  during  the 
processions,  are  scattered  in  the  air,  and  blended  with  the  per- 
fume of  censers,  directed  towards  the  Host ;  in  many  of  the 
towns,  particularly  those  in  the  south  of  France  and  of  Europe, 
the  streets  through  which  the  procession  passes  are  scattered 
throughout  with  fragrant  herbs  and  flowers  of  every  kind. 

Since  the  extinction  of  paganism  in  a  greater  part  of  the 
world,  the  custom  of  wearing  crowns  of  flowers  at  festivals  has 
passed  entirely  away.  Women  only  use  roses  as  an  ornament 
for  their  hair,  or  employ  them  in  different  parts  of  their  toilet. 
In  our  own  country  the  toilet  of  a  bride  is  never  considered  per- 
fect unless  she  wears  a  wreath  of  roses  and  other  flowers,  whose 
snow-white  hue  is  an  emblem  of  her  departing  maidenhood. 
Sometimes  she  is  provided  only  with  a  bouquet  of  white  roses 
and  camellias,  and  her  bridesmaids  wear  similar  ornaments  of 
nature's  manufacture. 

The  Rose  is  abundantly  used  by  children  in  their  beautiful 
celebration  of  May-day.  We  well  recollect  our  own  enjoyment 
of  one  of  these  scenes  some  seven  years  since.  We  were  return- 
ing from  a  ride  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  on  the  first 
day  of  this,  the  sunniest  of  the  months  of  Spring — a  day  dedi- 
cated not  to  the  spirit  of  motion,  and  celebrated  not  by  proces- 
sions of  furniture  carts,  amid  the  bustle  and  noise  of  a  populous 
city,  but  dedicated  there,  at  the  sunny  south,  to  innocent  and 
joyous  festivity,  and  celebrated  amid  all  the  fresh  and  fragrant 
luxuriance  of  southern  vegetation,  surrounded  by  the  delicate 
sweetness  of  the  magnolia,  the  Rose,  and  other  flowers,  while 
the  mocking-bird,  with  its  sweet  and  varied  note,  is  the  min- 
strel for  the  occasion.  Riding  quietly  along  the  road,  we  were 
suddenly  stopped  by  a  procession  which  had  just  dismounted  from 
a  number  of  carriages  in  a  beautiful  grove  hard  by.  It  consisted 

3* 


28  THE    ROSE    IN    CEREMONIES,    FESTIVALS,    ETC. 

mostly  of  noble-looking  boys  and  beautiful  girls,  of  all  ages  under 
fourteen,  the  latter  dressed  in  white  and  crowned  with  wreaths 
of  roses  and  other  flowers.  The  manly  attention  of  the  boys  to 
the  fair  creatures  with  whom  they  walked  hand  in  hand,  would 
not  have  disgraced  the  gallantry  of  Bayard,  or  the  politeness  of 
Chesterfield.  As  the  procession  wound  slowly  from  our  view, 
under  the  shade  of  the  lofty  live  oak  and  the  rich  magnolia,  we 
could  not  help  reflecting  how  beautiful  was  this  graceful  enjoy- 
ment of  the  sunny  days  of  childhood,  and  how  preferable  to  the 
mental  excitement  and  precocious  training  of  many  of  the  infant 
philosophers  of  this  most  enlightened  nineteenth  century. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  in  circles  where  fashion  reigns 
supreme,  nature  is  gradually  giving  way  to  art,  and  instead  of 
the  fresh  and  natural  beauty  of  a  newly-gathered  Rose,  various 
forms  of  artificial  flowers  are  found  upon  the  center  table,  or  in 
the  hair  of  those  whose  quick  discernment  and  refined  taste 
should  lead  them  to  perceive  the  great  inferiority  of  these  arti- 
ficial toys  to  the  delicate  beauty  and  welcome  fragrance  of  a 
Rose  just  from  its  parent  plant. 

Very  much  additional  matter  could  be  inserted  respecting  the 
early  history  of  the  Rose,  and  its  connection  with  ancient 
superstitions.  Sufficient,  however,  has  been  given  to  show  the 
esteem  in  which  the  Rose  was  held  by  the  ancient  Greeks  and 
Romans. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


THE  ROSE  IN  THE  MIDDLE  AGES. 

N  Great  Britain,  according  to  Loudon,  "  one  of 
the  earliest  notices  of  the  Rose  occurs  in  Chau- 
cer, who  wrote  early  in  the  13th  century ;  and 
in  the  beginning  of  the  15th  century,  there  is 
evidence  of  the  Rose  having  been  cultivated  for 
*  commercial  purposes,  and  of  the  water  distilled 
from  it  being  used  to  give  a  flavor  to  a  variety 
of  dishes,  and  to  wash  the  hands  at  meals — a  custom  still  pre- 
served in  some  of  the  colleges,  and  also  in  many  of  the  public 
halls  within  the  city  of  London." 

In  1402,  Sir  William  Cloptori  granted  to  Thomas  Smyth  a 
piece  of  ground  called  Dokmedwe,  in  Haustede,  for  the  annual 
payment  of  a  rose  to  Sir  William  and  his  heirs,  in  lieu  of  all  ser- 
vices. The  demand  for  roses  formerly  was  so  great,  that  bushels 
of  them  were  frequently  paid  by  vassals  to  their  lords,  both' in 
England  and  France.  The  single  rose,  paid  as  an  acknowledg- 
ment, was  the  diminutive  representation  of  a  bushel  of  roses — 
as  a  single  peppercorn,  which  is  still  a  reserved  rent,  represents  a 
pound  of  peppercorns — a  payment  originally  of  some  worth,  but 
descending  by  degrees  to  a  mere  formality.  Among  the  new- 
year  gifts  presented  to  Q,ueen  Mary  in  1556,  was  a  bottle  of  rose: 
water  ;  and  in  1570  we  find,  among  the  items  in  the  account  of 
a  dinner  of  Lord  Leicester,  when  he  was  Chancelor  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Oxford,  three  ounces  of  rose-water.  In  an  account  of 
a  grant  of  a  great  part  of  Ely  House,  Holborne,  by  the  Bishop  of 


30  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    MIDDLE    AGES. 

Ely,  to  Christopher  Hatton,  for  twenty-one  years,  the  tenant 
covenants  to  pay,  on  midsummer-day,  a  red  rose  for  the  gate- 
house and  garden,  and  for  the  ground  (fourteen  acres)  ten  loads 
of  hay  and  £10  per  annum  ;  the  Bishop  reserving  to  himself 
and  successors  free  access  through  the  gate-house,  for  walking  in 
the  gardens  and  gathering  twenty  bushels  of  roses  yearly.  In 
1 597,  we  find  Gerard  speaking  of  the  Damask  rose  of  Damascus 
and  the  Cinnamon  rose  as  common  in  English. gardens.  Hak- 
luyt  says  that  the  rose  of  Damascus  was  brought  to  England  by 
De  Linaker,  physician  to  Henry  IX. ;  and  his  successor,  Sir 
Richard  Weston,  who  wrote  in  1645,  says,  "  We  have  red  roses 
from  France."  In  the  reign  of  James  I.,  the  keeper  of  the  robes 
and  jewels  at  Whitehall,  among  a  variety  of  other  offices,  had 
separate  salaries  allowed  him,  "  for  fire  to  air  the  hot-houses,  40s. 
by  the  year ;"  and,  "  for  digging  and  setting  of  roses  in  the 
spring  gardens,  40s.  by  the  year." 

It  would  seem,  by  these  incidents,  that  previous  to  the  seven- 
teenth century,  roses  were  far  from  being  abundant,  and  indeed 
were  so  rare,  that  a  bottle  of  distilled  water  was  a  fit  present  for 
Royalty,  and  a  few  roses  an  amply  sufficient  rent  for  house  and 
land. 

In  the  times  of  chivalry,  the  Rose  was  often  an  emblem  that 
knights  were  fond  of  placing  in  their  helmet  or  shield,  implying 
that  sweetness  should  always  be  the  companion  of  courage,  and 
that  beauty  was  the  only  prize  worthy  of  valor.  It  was  not, 
however,  always  taken  for  such  emblems,  nor  did  it  always 
bring  to  mind  pleasant  and  agreeable  images,  but  was  often  the 
signal  for  bloodshed  in  a  desolating  civil  war  which  raged  in 
England  for  more  than  thirty  years. 

The  rival  factions  of  the  White  and  the  Red  Rose  arose  in 
1452,  during  the  reign  of  Henry  VI.,  between  the  houses  of  Lan- 
caster and  of  York.  The  Duke  of  York,  a  descendant  of 
Edward  III.,  claimed  that  his  house  possessed  a  nearer  title  to 
the  crown  than  the  reigning  branch.  He  adopted  a  white  rose 
on  his  shield,  for  his  device,  and  the  reigning  monarch,  Henry 
VI.,  of  the  house  of  Lancaster,  carried  the  red  rose.  After  sev- 


THE  ROSE  IN  THE  MIDDLE  AGES.  31 


eral  furious  civil  wars,  after  having  flooded  the  whole  kingdom 
with  blood,  and  after  the  tragical  death  of  three  kings,  Henry 
VII.,  of  the  house  of  Lancaster,  re-united,  in  1486,  the  two  fam- 
ilies by  marrying  Elizabeth,  the  heiress  of  the  house  of  York. 

The  adoption  of  the  red  rose,  by  the  house  of  Lancaster,  was 
at  a  period  far  prior  to  these  civil  wars.  About  1277,  the  Count 
of  Egrnont,  son  of  the  King  of  England,  and  who  had  taken  the 
title  of  Count  of  Champagne,  was  sent  by  the  King  of  France  to 
Provence,  with  some  troops,  to  avenge  the  murder  of  William 
Pentecote,  mayor  of  the  city,  who  had  been  killed  in  an  insurrec- 
tion. 

When  this  prince  returned  into  England,  after  executing  his 
orders,  he  took  for  his  device  the  red  rose,  that  Thibaut,  Count 
of  Brie  and  of  Champagne,  had  brought  from  Syria,  on  his  re- 
turn from  the  crusade  some  years  before. — That  Count  of  Eg- 
mont  was  the  head  of  the  house  of  Lancaster,  who  preserved  the 
red  rose  on  their  arms,  while  the  house  of  York,  on  the  other 
hand,  adopted  the  white  rose  as  their  device. 

An  anecdote  is  told  of  the  Prince  of  Beanie,  afterwards  Henry 
IV.  of  France,  who  was  not  15  years  of  age  whenjChaiies  IX. 
came  to  Nerae,  in  1566,  to  visit  the  court  of  Navarre. 

The  fifteen  days  that  he  spent  there,  were  marked  by  sports 
and  fetes,  of  which,  the  young  Henry  was  already  the  chief  orna- 
ment. Charles  IX.  loved  to  practice  archery ;  in  providing  for 
him  that  amusement,  they  thought  that  none  of  his  courtiers, 
not  even  the  Duke  of  Guise,  who  excelled  at  this  sport,  would 
•venture  to  prove  himself  more  adroit  than  the  monarch.  The 
young  Henry,  however,  advanced,  and  at  the  first  shot,  carried  off 
the  orange,  which  served  for  a  mark.  According  to  the  rules  of 
the  sport,  he  wished,  as  victor,  to  shoot  first  in  the  next  trial ;  the 
King  opposed  it,  and  repulsed  him  with  warmth  ;  Henry  stepped 
back  a  little,  drew  his  bow,  and  directed  the  arrow  against  the 
breast  of  his  adversary  ;  the  monarch  quickly  took  shelter  behind 
the  largest  of  his  courtiers,  and  requested  them  to  take  away 
"that  dangerous  little  cousin."  Peace  being  made,  the  same 
sport  was  continued  on  the  following  day ;  Charles  found  an 


32  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    MIDDLE    AGES. 


excuse  for  not  coming.  This  lime  the  Duke  of  Guise  carried 
away  the  orange,  which  he  split  in  two,  and  no  other  could  be 
found  for  a  mark. 

The  young  prince  perceived  a  Rose  in  the  bosom  of  a  young 
girl  among  the  spectators,  and  seizing  it,  quickly  placed  it  on  the 
mark.  The  Duke  shot  first,  and  missed ;  Henry  succeeding  him, 
placed  his  arrow  in  the  middle  of  the  flower,  and  returned  it  to 
the  pretty  villager  with  the  victorious  arrow  which  had  pierced 
its  stem. 

At  Salency,  a  village  of  France,  the  Rose  is  the  reward  of  ex- 
cellent traits  of  character ;  they  attribute  the  origin  of  the  fete  of 
La  Rosiere,  in  that  country,  to  Medard,  bishop  of  Noyou,  who 
lived  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth,  and  beginning  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  during  the  reign  of  Clovis.  That  bishop,  who  was  also 
Lord  of  Salency,  had  established  a  fund,  giving  a  sum  of 
twenty-five  livres  (five  dollars),  and  a  crown  or  hat  of  roses  to 
the  young  girl  on  his  estate,  who  enjoyed  the  greatest  reputation 
for  amiability  and  excellence  of  character.  Tradition  states  that 
the  prelate  himself  gave  this  desired  prize  to  one  of  his  sisters, 
whom  the  public  voice  had  named  to  be  Rosiere.  Before  the 
revolution  of  1789,  there  could  be  seen,  beneath  the  altar  of  the 
chapel  of  St.  Medard,  at  Salency,  a  tablet,  where  that  bishop  was 
represented  in  pontifical  dress,  and  placing  a  crown  of  roses  on 
the  head  of  his  sister,  who  was  on  her  knees,  with  her  hair 
dressed. 

The  bishop  had  set  aside,  on  a  part  of  his  domain,  since  called 
the  "  Manor  of  the  Rose,"  an  annual  rent  of  twenty-five  livres, 
at  that  time  a  considerable  sum,  for  paying  all  the  expenses  of 
this  ceremony.  It  is  stated  that  Louis  XIIL,  being  at  the  chateau 
of  Yarennes,  nea*  Salency,  about  the  time  of  this  ceremony,  was 
desirous  of  adding  to  its  eclat  by  his  personal  presence;  but 
finding  himself  indisposed,  he  sent  to  La  Rosiere,  by  a  marquis 
of  rank  and  first  captain  of  his  guards,  a  ring  and  his  blue  riband. 
"  Go,"  said  he  to  the  marquis,  "  and  present  this  riband  to  her 
who  shall  be  crowned.  It  has  been  long  the  prize  of  honor  ;  it 
shall  now  become  the  reward  of  virtue."  Since  that  time  La 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    MIDDLE    AGES.  33 

Rosiere  has  received  a  ring,  and  she  and  her  companions  have 
worn  the  blue  riband. 

The  Lord  of  Salency  at  one  time  enjoyed  the  right  of  choosing 
La  Rosiere  from  three  of  the  village  girls,  who  were  presented 
by  the  inhabitants.  But  in  1773  a  new  lord,  who  purchased  the 
estate  of  Salency,  wished  to  take  away  the  right  enjoyed  by  the 
inhabitants,  of  naming  and  presenting  to  him  the  three  candi- 
dates for  the  Rose.  He  assumed  the  nomination  of  La  Rosiere, 
without  any  assembling,  election,  or  presentation,  and  suppressed 
entirely  the  pomp  and  ceremonies  which  until  that  time  had 
always  been  observed.  On  the  complaint  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Salency,  the  Court  of  Chancery  at  once  set  aside  the  pretensions 
of  their  lord  ;  but  he,  not  wishing  to  yield  them,  instituted  a  civil 
process  before  the  Parliament  of  Paris,  which  gave  a  decree  in 
favor  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  by  which  it  confirmed  to 
them  all  the  ancient  customs  of  the  fete  of  La  Rosiere,  of  which 
the  Lord  of  Salency  was  ordered  to  pay  all  the  expenses. 

The  ceremony  of  La  Rosiere  was  suppressed  during  the  ex- 
cesses of  the  Revolution,  but  was  again  re-established  when  the 
times  had  become  more  quiet.  The  celebration  takes  place  in 
the  first  summer  month,  and  would  be  well  worthy  the  attend- 
ance of  foreign  travelers. 

We  have  mentioned  this  custom  very  much  in  detail,  as  it  is 
one  of  the  few  ceremonies  still  existing,  in  which  the  Rose  occu- 
pies a  prominent  position,  and  is  made  alone  the  reward  of  merit. 
Other  festivals  of  the  Rose,  similar  to  those  of  Salency,  were 
established  in  several  other  villages  of  France  and  the  neighbor- 
ing countries.  When  Louis  XYIII.  was  staying  at  Blakenbourg, 
in  Germany,  during  the  years  of  his  exile,  he  was  invited  to 
assist  a*t  a  festival  of  La  Rosiere.  When  he  had  placed  the 
crown  on  the  head  of  the  young  girl  who  was  designated  as  the 
most  virtuous,  she  said  to  him,  ingenuously,  "  My  Prince,  may 
your  crown  be  restored  you." 

There  exists  a  touching  custom  in  the  valley  of  Engadine,  in 
Switzerland.  If  a  man  accused  of  a  crime  is  able  to  justify 
himself  the  same  day  on  which  he  is  liberated  from  prison,  a 


34  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    MIDDLE    AGES. 

young  and  beautiful  girl  offers  him  a  white  rose,  called  the  Rose 
of  Innocence. 

It  is  somewhat  singular  that,  although  the  Rose  was  in  these 
instances  employed  as  the  emblem  of  virtue  and  innocence,  it 
has  been  considered,  at  other  times  and  places,  as  a  sign  of  dis- 
grace and  dishonor. 

The  synod  held  at  Nismes,  about  the  year  1284,  ordered  the 
Jews  to  wear  on  their  breast  a  rose  to  distinguish  them  from 
Christians,  in  order  that  they  might  not  receive  the  same  atten- 
tions. At  one  time,  in  certain  German  provinces,  a  crown  of 
red  roses  was  the  punishment  of  immorality. 

It  appears  that,  in  the  middle  ages,  roses  were  much  more 
abundantly  cultivated  in  certain  provinces  than  they  have  been 
since  ;  for  the  following  passage  is  found  in  Marchangy's  History 
of  France  in  the  14th  century  :  "  For  the  ornament  of  certain 
festivals,  they  cultivate,  in  the  vicinity  of  Rouen,  fields  of  flowers 
of  several  roods ;  and  the  annual  sale  of  bouquets  and  wreaths 
of  roses  is  valued  at  50,000  francs.  The  business  of  maker  of 
wreaths,  and  that  of  rose  merchant,  is  in  France  very  common 
and  very  profitable.  The  above  sum  will  not  seem  surprising, 
when  we  think  of  the  enormous  consumption  of  rose-water  at 
that  time.  In  all  family  parties,  companies  and  associations, 
many  bouquets  were  presented  ;  at  table,  during  festivals,  they 
crowned  themselves  with  flowers,  and  scattered  them  on  the 
table-cloth  and  the  floor." 

The  Marquis  de  Chesnel,  in  his  History  of  the  Rose,  mentions 
that,  among  the  old  customs  of  Auvergne,  Anjou,  Tours,  Lodu- 
nois,  and  Maine,  there  was  one  in  the  noble  families,  that  a  father 
who  had  sons,  frequently  gave  to  his  daughters,  on  their  mar- 
riage, only  a  wreath  of  roses.  In  Normandy,  also,  the  daughters 
received,  for  their  legitimate  portion,  a  hat  adorned  with  the 
same  flowers.  Among  the  ancient  seignorial  rights  in  France, 
in  the  14th  century,  was  one  by  which  each  tenant  was  obliged 
to  furnish  a  bushel  of  roses  for  the  manufacture  of  rose-water  for 
the  lord  of  the  soil.  Madame  de  Genlis  mentions,  however,  that 
about  the  same  period,  every  one  was  not  allowed  to  cultivate 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    MIDDLE    AGES.  35 

these  flowers  ;  but  permission  to  do  so  was  granted  to  privileged 
persons.  Whether  it  was  ever  a  royal  monopoly  she  does  not 
state  ;  but  it  would  certainly  be  no  more  singular  than  the 
monopoly  of  the  sale  of  butter  by  the  King  of  Naples  at  the 
present  day. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  wars  of  the  White  and  Red 
Rose,  which  during  so  long  a  time  deluged  England  with  blood. 
There  is  also  an  instance  in  French  history,  where  this  flower, 
associated  as  it  is  with  innocence  and  pleasant  thoughts,  served, 
under  the  reign  of  Charles  VI.,  as  the  rallying  sign  of  the  faction 
of  Burgundy  against  that  of  Armagnac.  The  Parisians,  urged 
by  the  agents  of  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  established  the  order  of 
St.  Andre  for  their  partisans,  in  order  to  manage  them  more 
easily ;  and  the  church  of  St.  Eustache  was  chosen  as  their  ren- 
dezvous. Each  church  member  wore  a  crown  of  red  roses,  of 
which  more  than  seven  hundred  were  made  in  the  space  of 
twelve  hours,  and  the  flowers  were  sufficiently  abundant  to  per- 
fume the  whole  church. 

According  to  an  ancient  custom,  the  dukes  and  peers  of  France 
were  formerly  obliged  to  present  roses  to  the  Parliament  of  Paris, 
at  certain  periods  of  its  session.  The  peer  who  was  chosen  to 
do  the  honors  of  this  ceremony,  caused  all  the  chambers  of  Par- 
liament to  be  scattered  with  roses,  flowers,  and  fragrant  herbs ; 
and  entertained  at  a  splendid  breakfast  the  presidents,  councilors, 
and  even  the  notaries  and  door-keepers  of  the  court.  He  after- 
wards went  into  each  chamber,  accompanied  by  a  page  with  a 
large  silver  basin,  which  contained  as  many  bouquets  of  roses 
and  other  flowers  as  there  were  public  officers,  with  an  equal 
number  of  crowns  composed  of  the  same  flowers.  The  Parlia- 
ment also  had  its  cultivator  of  roses,  called  the  Rosier  de  la 
Cour,  from  whom  the  peers  could  obtain  the  roses  for  their 
presents. 

Under  the  reign  of  Francis  I.,  in  1541,  there  was  a  dispute 
between  the  Due  de  Montpensier  and  the  Due  de  Nevers  respect- 
ing the  presentage  of  the  roses  to  Parliament.  It  was  decided 
that  the  Due  de  Montpensier,  from  his  rank  as  prince  of  the 


36  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    MIDDLE    AGES. 

blood,  should  be  entitled  to  the  first  presentage.  Among  the 
princes  of  the  royal  family  who  submitted  to  this  ceremony  at 
later  periods,  are  numbered  the  dukes  of  Vendome,  Beaumont, 
Angouleme,  and  several  other  distinguished  names.  Henry  IV., 
while  only  King  of  Navarre,  proved  to  the  procureur-general 
that  neither  he  nor  his  predecessors  had  ever  failed  to  perform 
that  duty. 

About  the  year  1631,  there  was  published  a  very  curious  book 
on  the  Rose,  by  a  German  named  Rosenberg.  About  250  octavo 
pages  are  devoted  entirely  to  the  praise  of  the  curative  properties 
of  the  Rose  in  almost  every  known  disease,  making,  in  fact,  this 
flower  a  universal  panacea  for  the  many  ills  to  which  flesh 
is  heir.  The  author  also  claims  for  it  supernatural  qualities, 
particularly  for  driving  away  evil  spirits.  The  work  closes  by 
asserting,  as  a  positive  fact,  supported  by  several  authorities 
which  he  quotes,  the  remarkable  regeneration  or  resurrection  of 
the  Rose.  He  gives  also  the  process  of  this  reproduction,  which 
is  scarcely  worth  inserting  here,  being,  like  the  story  of  the 
Phrenix,  a  fable  engendered  by  superstition  upon  ignorance.  It 
is  somewhat  surprising  that  this  fable  should  have  been  very 
gravely  reproduced,  in  a  French  work  on  the  Rose,  published  in 
1800.  The  author  states  that,  "  notwithstanding  the  many 
marvelous  things  which  we  already  know  respecting  the  im- 
proving, forcing,  changing,  and  multiplying  of  roses,  we  have  yet 
to  describe  the  most  surprising  of  all — that  of  its  regeneration  ; 
or,  in  other  words,  the  manner  of  reproducing  that  flower  from 
its  own  ashes.  This  is  called  the  imperial  secret,  because  the 
Emperor  Ferdinand  III.  purchased  it  of  a  foreign  chemist,  at  a 
very  high  price."  The  conclusion  is  a  rather  amusing  instance 
of  Munchausenism  in  the  19th  century.  "  Finally,  all  this 
material  being  placed  in  a  glass  vessel,  with  a  certain  quantity 
of  pure  dew,  forms  a  blue  powder,  from  which,  when  heat  is 
applied,  there  springs  a  stem,  leaves,  and  flowers,  and  a  whole 
and  perfect  plant  is  formed  from  its  own  ashes." 

It   is   difficult   to  credit   the   fact  that,   in   any   part  of  this 
enlightened  age,  an  author  could  be  found  who  would  gravely 


THE  ROSE  IN  THE  MIDDLE  AGES.  37 

and  in  sincerity  advance  such  opinions  and  state  such  facts  as 
the  above  ;  and  it  is  but  an  additional  proof,  if  such  were  want- 
ing, that  nothing  can  be  advanced  too  monstrous  or  too  incredi- 
ble to  be  entirely  without  believers. 

If  the  sight  of  roses,  or  their  delicate  fragrance,  has  been  gene- 
rally delightful  and  pleasing,  there  have  also  been  those  who 
could  not  endure  them.  Anne  of  Austria,  wife  of  Louis  XIII.? 
of  France,  although  otherwise  very  fond  of  perfumes,  had  such 
an  antipathy  to  the  rose,  that  she  could  not  bear  the  sight  of 
one  even  in  a  painting.  The  Duke  of  Guise  had  a  still  stronger 
dislike,  for  he  always  made  his  escape  at  the  sight  of  a  rose. 
Dr.  Ladelius  mentions  a  man  who  was  obliged  to  become  a  re- 
cluse, and  dared  not  leave  his  house,  during  the  season  of  roses  ; 
because,  if  he  happened  to  imbibe  their  fragrance,  he  was  imme- 
diately seized  with  a  violent  cold  in  his  head.  • 

The  odor  of  the  rose,  like  that  of  many  other  flowers,  has 
often  occasioned  serious  injury,  particularly  in  closed  apartments  ; 
and  no  one  should  venture  to  sleep  with  them  in  his  chamber. 
Some  authors  of  credibility  mention  instances  of  death  caused 
by  a  large  quantity  of  roses  being  left  during  the  night  in  a 
sleeping  apartment.  Thus  it  is,  that  the  most  beautiful  things 
in  life  contain  the  elements  of  death. 

4 


CHAPTER    V. 


PERFUMES  OF  THE  ROSE. 

T  an  early  period  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  Rose,  and  after  its  admission  among 
the  luxuries  of  the  wealthy,  human  skill 
was  exerted  to  extract  its  delightful  per- 
fume. 

Several  authors  have  considered  the 
invention  of  the  essence  of  the  Rose  very 
ancient,  and  have  even  traced  it  back  as  far  as  the  siege  of  Troy. 
This  however  can  scarcely  be  admitted,  for  nothing  relating  to 
the  essence,  or  essential  oil  of  roses  can  be  found  in  Homer,  or 
in  any  other  author  for  many  subsequent  years.  The  discovery 
of  these  valuable  articles  of  commerce  was  made  at  a  much  later 
period.  If  the  essential  oil  of  roses  had  been  known  to  the 
ancient  Greeks  or  Romans,  it  would  probably  have  been  more 
particularly  mentioned  by  Pliny,  and  the  mode  of  preparation 
even  would  have  been  described.  In  speaking,  however,  of  vari- 
ous perfumes,  he  says  nothing  of  any  distillation  from  the  petals 
of  the  Rose,  but  simply  mentions  that  as  early  as  the  siege  of 
Troy,  the  expressed  juice  of  roses  was  known,  and  being  mixed 
with  a  delicate  oil,  formed  an  agreeable  perfume. 

In  speaking  of  artificial  oils  in  general,  Pliny  also  observes 
that  the  oil  of  roses  was  made  by  simply  steeping  the  rose-petals 
in  oil.  According  to  the  same  author,  oil  was  the  body  of  nearly 
all  the  perfumes  used  at  that  day,  and  for  a  perfuming  substance 


PERFUMES    OF    THE     ROSE.  39 

roses  were  most  frequently  used,  because  they  grew  everywhere 
in  the  greatest  abundance. 

Perfumes  of  every  kind  were  more  abundantly  used  among 
the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans,  than  at  the  present  day. 
Athenseus,  in  his  Feast  of  Wise  Men,  states  that  nearly  all  of 
these  were  drawn  from  the  Rose,  and  says  that  the  most  sweet 
were  those  of  Gyrene,  while  those  of  Naples,  Capua,  and  Faseoli, 
were  the  best  and  most  delightful  of  all. 

This  agrees  with  the  subsequent  researches  made  on  the  same 
subject,  by  D'Orbessan.  "The  cities  of  Naples,  Capua,  and  Pre- 
neste,"  says  the  latter,  "  obtained  their  roses  from  Campania,  where 
there  is  yet  a  considerable  tract  of  land,  commonly  called  11  maz- 
zone  delle  Rose. 

"  This  field  is  sometimes  called  Rosetinus,  on  account  of  the 
prodigious  quantity  of  roses  which  grow  there  without  culture, 
and  in  greater  abundance  than  in  any  other  section  of  that 
country." 

Athenseus  states  that  the  perfume  of  roses  was  frequently  used 
in  culinary  preparations,  and  gives  a  curious  receipt  for  a  sort  of 
pot-pourri,  made  by  the  cook  of  the  King  of  Sicily.  "  This  is 
what  I  call  potted  roses,  and  it  is  thus  prepared  :  I  first  pound 
some  of  the  most  fragrant  roses  in  a  mortar ;  then  I  take  the 
brains  of  birds  and  pigs,  well  boiled  and  stripped  of  every  particle 
of  meat ;  I  then  add  the  yolks  of  some  eggs,  some  oil,  a  little 
cordial,  some  pepper,  and  some  wine :  after  having  beaten  and 
mixed  it  well  together,  I  throw  it  in  a  new  pot,  and  place  it  over 
a  slow,  but  steady  fire."  "  As  he  said  these  things,"  so  runs  the 
story,  "the  cook  uncovered  the  pot,  and  there  issued  forth  a 
most  delicious  fragrance,  perfuming  the  whole  dining-hall  and 
overcoming  the  guests  with  delight."  This  is  a  point  in  gastro- 
nomic luxury  to  which  Americans  have  not  yet  attained. 

Although  the  perfume  of  roses  was  considered  more  choice 
than  any  other,  it  was  frequently  used  when  men  were  least  in 
the  state  to  enjoy  it ;  for  D'Orbessan  states  that  slaves  were  made 
to  burn  it  around  their  masters  while  sleeping. 

If  the  essential  oil  of  roses  was  known  in  the  time  of  Pliny, 


40  PERFUMES    OF     THE     ROSE. 

that  author  would  have  mentioned  it  among  the  most  esteemed 
and  precious  perfumes.  So  far  from  this,  however,  he  only 
speaks  of  the  "  Royal  Perfume,"  so  called  because  it  was  pre- 
pared expressly  for  the  King  of  the  Parthians.  This  was  com- 
posed of  the  oil  of  Ben,  an  Arabian  tree,  with  several  aromatic 
substances.  According  to  Langles,  who  has  carefully  examined 
a  great  number  of  oriental  works,  no  writer  previous  to  the  16th 
century  has  mentioned  the  essential  oil  of  roses,  although  these 
flowers  abounded  at  that  time,  and  mention  is  made  of  rose- 
water  as  an  agreeable  perfume.  Besides  these  negative  proofs 
against  the  ancient  existence  of  this  perfume,  Langles  quotes 
several  oriental  historians,  from  which  it  seems  evident  that  its 
discovery  dates  about  the  year  1612,  and  was  owing  entirely  to 
accident. 

According  to  Father  Catron,  in  his  History  of  the  Mogul 
Empire,  in  the  fetes  which  the  sultana  Nourmahal  gave  to  the 
great  Mogul  Jehan-guire,  their  chief  pleasure  was  sailing  together 
in  a  canal  which  Nourmahal  had  rilled  with  rose-water. 

One  day  that  the  Emperor  was  thus  sailing  with  Nourmahal, 
they  perceived  a  sort  of  froth  forming  and  floating  upon  the  water. 
They  drew  it  out,  and  perceived  that  it  was  the  essential  oil , 
which  the  heat  of  the  sun  had  disengaged  from  the  water  and 
collected  together  on  the  surface.  The  whole  seraglio  pro- 
nounced the  perfume  the  most  exquisite  known  in  the  Indies ; 
and  they  immediately  endeavored  to  imitate  by  art  that  which 
nature  had  made.  Thus  was  discovered  the  essence,  essential 
oil,  otto  or  attar  of  roses. 

According  to  Langles,  the  word  A'ther,  Athr  or  Othr,  which 
the  Arabs,  Turks,  and  Persians  use  to  designate  the  essential  oil 
of  Roses  without  adding  the  name  of  that  flower,  is  Arabic,  and 
signifies  perfume.  It  is  necessary,  the  same  author  states,  to 
recollect  the  distinction  between  Ather  or  Aether  gul  and  gu- 
lab,  which  is  simply  rose-water. 

From  the  very  small  quantity  congealed  on  the  surface  of 
the  water,  the  manufacture  is  limited  and  the  cost  of  the  arti- 
cle immense.  Langles  states  that  the  rose-water  is  left  ex 


PERFUMES    OF   THE    ROSE.  41 

posed  to  the  freshness  of  the  night,  and  in  the  morning  a  very 
small  quantity  of  attar  is  found  collected  on  the  surface. 

Dr.  Monro,  according  to  Loudon,  gives  the  manner  of  making 
the  attar  in  Cashmere,  which  is  apparently  more  simple,  without 
the  tedious  process  of  distilling. 

"  The  rose-petals  are  put  into  a  wooden  vessel  with  pure  water, 
and  exposed  for  several  days  to  the  heat  of  the  sun.  The  oily 
particles  being  disengaged  by  the  heat,  float  upon  the  surface  of 
the  water,  whence  they  are  taken  up  from  time  to  time,  by  ap- 
plying to  them  some  very  fine  dry  cotton  wool.  From  this  wool 
the  oil  is  pressed  into  little  bottles,  which  are  immediately  after- 
wards sealed  hermetically." 

Another  method  is,  exposing  the  rose  water  to  strong  heat, 
then  suddenly  cooling  it,  and  collecting  the  drops  of  congealed 
oil  which  float  upon  the  surface. 

Bishop  Heber  describes  the  method  used  in  India,  which  is  very 
similar  to  that  of  Langles.  The  attar  has  the  consistency  of 
butter,  and  never  becomes  liquid  except  in  the  warmest  weather. 

Loudon  states  that  "  a  wretched  substitute  for  otto  of  roses,  is 
said  to  be  formed  by  the  apothecaries  of  Paris.  The  petals  of 
Rosa  damascena  are  boiled  in  a  large  caldron  of  water,  along 
with  as  much  hog's  lard  as  will  cover  its  surface  with  a  thin 
stratum  of  grease.  The  oil  of  the  rose-petals,  on  separating  from 
them  by  boiling,  unites  with  this  grease,  from  which  it  is  again 
separated  by  spirits  of  wine."  A  large  portion  of  the  attar  im- 
ported into  the  United  States  is  probably  of  this  manufacture ; 
and  the  corn-fed  animals  of  the  West  yield  a  part  of  their  unctu- 
ous bodies  to  be  sent  to  France,  and  returned  to  us  in  a  shape  fit 
for  the  lady's  handkerchief  or  boudoir. 

The  quantity  of  genuine  attar  produced  from  a  given  weight 
of  rose-petals  is  not  always  the  same ;  it  is  very  liable  to  vary 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  climate,  the  temperature  of  differ- 
ent seasons,  the  period  of  bloom  at  which  the  roses  are  picked, 
the  process  of  manufacture,  and  the  skill  of  the  manufacturers. 
Generally  a  hundred  pounds  of  roses  will  scarcely  produce  a 
drachm  of  attar,  sometimes  only  half  a  drachm,  and  at  others  a 

4* 


42  PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

drachm  and  a  half.  Bishop  Heber  states  that  in  India,  at  Gha- 
zepoor,  two  hundred  thousand  well  grown  roses  are  required  to 
produce  one  rupee's  (165  grains)  weight  of  attar.  The  calyx  is 
sometimes  used  with  the  petal,  but  as  the  oil  of  that  contains 
little  or  no  perfume,  although  it  may  increase  the  quantity  of 
attar,  it  must  sensibly  weaken  its  properties. 

The  color  of  attar  is  generally  green,  sometimes  lemon  or  rose 
color,  and  occasionally  brownish.  These  differences  in  color  are 
owing  to  the  various  processes  of  manufacture,  and  the  different 
periods  at  which  the  roses  are  picked.  The  attar  is  prepared  in 
Barbary,  Syria,  Arabia,  Persia,  India,  in  the  island  of  Scio,  at 
Payoum  in  Egypt,  at  Tunis,  and  many  other  places  in  the  East. 
That  made  in  Syria  and  Barbary  is  considered  very  inferior ; 
while  the  best  is  made  in  Chyraz,  Kerman,  and  Cashmere.  In 
some  parts  of  France  and  Italy,  it  is  also  prepared,  but  in  com- 
paratively small  quantities. 

The  attar  is  very  costly,  although  not  so  dear  as  formerly. 
The  French  traveler  Tavernier.  who  visited  Ispahan  about  the 
year  1666,  stated  that  the  price  of  attar  at  Chyraz  rose  and  fell 
every  year,  on  account  of  the  unequal  produce  of  flowers  ;  and 
that  an  ounce  of  that  article  sold  at  one  period  for  ten  tomans 
(about  92  dollars). 

At  the  time  another  Frenchman,  Chardin,  traveled  in  Persia, 
some  years  after  Tavernier,  the  attar  was  sometimes  much 
higher.  He  states  that  forty  pounds  of  rose-water  were  required 
to  produce  half  a  drachm  of  attar,  an  ounce  of  which  some- 
times sold  in  India  for  200  ecus.  Langles  states  that  in  India, 
half  an  ounce  of  attar  is  worth  about  forty  dollars.  Bishop 
Heber  also  speaks  of  its  enormous  price  at  Ghazepoor,  where 
the  variation  in  price  is  also  very  great,  being,  according  to 
Langles,  sometimes  as  low  as  eight  dollars  an  ounce. 

At  one  time,  soon  after  its  discovery,  it  was  valued  at  about 
five  times  its  weight  in  gold.  Until  quite  recently  it  was  worth 
its  weight  in  gold,  but  now  sells  in  Paris  for  about  one  quarter 
that  value. 

Attar  is  rarely  found  pure  in  commerce :  it  is  always  more  or 


PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE.  43 

less  adulterated.  In  the  countries  where  it  is  manufactured, 
they  frequently  increase  the  quantity  of  the  attar,  by  mixing 
scrapings  of  sandal-wood  with  the  rose-petals  during  the  process 
of  distillation.  Ksempfer,  a  German  writer,  states  this  mode  of 
adulteration  to  have  been  known  a  long  time,  and  adds  that  the 
sandal-wood  gives  additional  strength  to  the  attar ;  but  another 
author,  who  has  also  made  some  researches  on  the  subject, 
asserts  that  the  sandal-wood  injures  the  delicacy  of  the  attar, 
which  is  more  sweet  and  agreeable  when  mild,  than  when 
strong. 

The  quality,  as  well  as  the  quantity  of  attar,  which  they  ob- 
tain from  roses,  depends  upon  the  proportion  of  aroma  which  they 
contain ;  and  this  is  found  more  developed  at  the  south  and  in 
a  warm  climate.  The  kinds  of  roses  used  in  distillation  have 
also  a  great  influence  on  the  quality  of  the  attar.  In  Persia 
and  the  East,  the  Musk  Rose  is  generally  used ;  and  the  Damask 
is  employed  in  France. 

Although  roses  are  distilled  in  large  quantities  at  Paris,  for 
perfumery  and  for  medical  purposes,  very  little  attar  is  made, 
because  the  proportion  of  the  manufactured  article  to  the  roses 
required,  is  in  that  climate  extremely  small ;  so  small  in  fact, 
that,  according  to  one  writer,  five  thousand  parts  in  weight  of 
rose-petals,  will  scarcely  produce  one  part  of  essential  oil.  This 
limited  manufacture  exists  only  at  Grasse  and  Montpelier  in 
France,  and  at  Florence  in  Italy. 

Some  years  since,  the  adulteration  of  attar  was  successfully 
practised  in  the  south  of  France,  by  mixing  with  it  the  essence 
distilled  from  the  leaves  of  the  Rose  Geranium  (Pelargonium 
odoratissimum).  This  adulteration  is  very  difficult  to  detect, 
because,  this  last  essence  possesses  the  same  properties  as  the 
attar;  its  odor  is  almost  the  same — like  that,  it  is  of  a  lemon 
color,  it  chrystalizes  at  a  lower  temperature,  and  its  density  is 
very  little  greater. 

The  attar,  when  pure,  is,  beyond  comparison,  the  most  sweet 
and  agreeable  of  all  perfumes.  Its  fragrance  is  the  most  delicate 
conceivable,  and  equals  that  of  the  freshly  expanded  Rose.  It  is 


44  PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

also  so  strong-  and  penetrating,  that  a  single  drop,  or  as  much  as 
will  attach  itself  to  the  point  of  a  needle,  is  sufficient  to  perfume 
an  apartment  for  several  days ;  and  if  the  small  flask  in  which 
it  is  sold,  although  tightly  corked  and  sealed,  is  placed  in  a 
drawer,  it  will  perfume  all  the  contents. 

When  in  a  congealed  or  chrystalized  state,  the  attar  will 
liquify  at  a  slight  heat,  and  if  the  flask  is  merely  held  in  the 
hand,  a  few  minutes  will  suffice  to  render  it  liquid.  In  the 
East,  much  use  is  made  of  the  attar,  particularly  in  the  harems. 
In  Europe  and  America,  it  is  employed  in  the  manufacture  of 
cordials  and  in  the  preparation  of  various  kinds  of  perfumery. 

Rose-water,  or  the  liquid  obtained  from  rose-petals  by  distilla- 
tion, is  very  common,  and  is  found  in  almost  every  country 
where  the  arts  and  luxuries  of  life  have  at  all  advanced. 

Pliny  tells  us,  that  rose-water  was  a  favorite  perfume  of  the 
Roman  ladies;  and  the  most  luxurious  used  it  even  in  their 
baths.  This,  however,  must  have  been  some  preparation  differ- 
ent from  that  now  known  as  rose-water,  and  was  probably  a 
mere  tincture  of  roses. 

The  ancients  could  have  known  nothing  of  rose-water,  for 
they  were  entirely  ignorant  of  the  art  of  distillation,  which  only 
came  into  practice  after  the  invention  of  the  alembic  by  the 
Arabs.  Some  attribute  this  discovery  to  Rhazes,  an  Arabian 
physician  who  lived  in  the  early  part  of  the  tenth  century ;  and 
others  attribute  it  to  Avicenna,  who  lived  at  Chyraz,  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  same  century.  It  is  also  attributed  to  Geber,  a  cele- 
brated Arabian  alchemist,  who  lived  in  Mesopotamia  in  the 
eighth  century.  Subsequent,  therefore,  to  this  discovery  of  the 
alembic,  we  find,  according  to  Gmelin,  in  his  history  of  the  pre- 
paration of  distilled  waters,  that  the  first  notice  of  rose-water  is 
by  Aben-Zohar,  a  Jewish  physician,  of  Seville,  in  Spain,  who 
recommends  it  for  diseases  of  the  eye.  From  the  Arabs  this  in- 
vention passed  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  as  we  are  in- 
formed by  Actuarius,  a  writer  of  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  century. 

In  France,  the  first  distillation  of  rose-water  appears  to  have 


PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE.  45 

been  made  by  Arnaud  de  Yilleneuve,  a  physician,  who  lived  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  thirteenth  century. 

The  Orientals  made  great  use  of  this  water  in  various  ways 
in  their  houses,  and  in  the  purification  of  their  temples,  when 
they  thought  they  had  been  profaned  by  any  other  worship  than 
that  of  Mahomet.  There  are  many  anecdotes  told  by  historians, 
of  the  use  of  rose-water  by  the  Sultans  on  various  occasions ; 
and  several  of  these,  as  Chateaubriand  remarks,  are  stories 
worthy  of  the  East.  It  is  related  of  Saladin,  that  when  he  took 
Jerusalem  from  the  Crusaders,  in  1187,  he  would  not  enter  the 
Mosque  of  Omar,  which  had  been  converted  into  a  church  by 
the  Christians,  until  the  walls  and  courts  had  been  thoroughly 
washed  and  purified  with  rose-water  brought  from  Damascus. 
Five  hundred  camels,  it  is  stated,  were  scarcely  sufficient  to 
convey  all  the  rose-water  used  for  this  purpose.  An  Arabian 
writer  tells  us,  that  the  princes  of  the  family  of  Saladin,  hasten- 
ing to  Jerusalem  to  worship  Allah,  Malek- Abdul  and  his  nephew, 
Taki-Eddin,  distinguished  themselves  above  all  others.  The 
latter  repaired  with  all  his  followers  to  the  "  Chapel  of  the  Holy 
Cross,"  and  taking  a  broom  himself,  he  swept  all  the  dirt  from 
the  floor,  \vashed  the  walls  and  the  ceiling  several  times  with 
pure  water,  and  then  washed  them  with  rose-water;  having 
thus  cleansed  and  purified  the  place,  he  distributed  large  alms  to 
the  poor. 

Bibars,  the  fourth  Sultan  of  the  Mameluke  dynasty,  who 
reigned  from  1260  to  1277,  caused  the  Caaba  of  the  temple  of 
Mecca  to  be  washed  with  rose-water. 

Mahomet  II.,  after  the  capture  of  Constantinople,  in  1453, 
would  not  enter  the  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia,  which  had  been  for- 
merly used  as  a  church,  until  he  had  caused  it  to  be  washed 
with  rose-water. 

It  is  stated  by  a  French  historian,  that  the  greatest  display  of 
gorgeous  magnificence  at  that  period,  was  made  in  1611,  by  the 
Sultan  Ahmed  I.,  at  the  dedication  of  the  new  Caaba,  which 
had  been  built  or  repaired  at  his  expense ;  amber  and  aloes  were 
burnt  in  profusion,  and,  in  the  extravagance  of  eastern  language, 


46  PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

oceans  of  rose-water  were  set  afloat,  for  washing  the  courts  and 
interior  surface  of  the  walls.  Rose-water  is  by  no  means  so 
generally  used  now,  as  for  a  few  hundred  years  subsequent  to  its 
invention.  In  France,  during  the  reign  of  Philip  Augustus,  it 
was  a  necessary  article  at  court.  It  was  formerly  the  custom  to 
carry  large  vases,  filled  with  rose-water,  to  baptisms.  Illustrat- 
ing this  custom,  Bayle  relates  a  story  of  Rousard,  the  French 
poet :  "  It  nearly  happened  that  the  day  of  his  birth  was  also 
that  of  his  death ;  for  when  he  was  carried  from  the  Chateau  de 
La  Poissoniere  to  the  church  of  the  place,  to  be  baptized,  the 
nurse  who  carried  him  carelessly  let  him  fall ;  his  fall,  however, 
was  upon  the  grass  and  flowers,  which  received  him  softly ;  it  so 
happened  that  a  young  lady,  who  carried  a  vase  filled  with  rose 
water,  and  a  collection  of  flowers,  in  her  haste  to  aid  in  helping 
the  child,  overturned  on  his  head  a  large  part  of  the  rose-water. 
This  incident  was  considered  a  presage  of  the  good  odor  with 
which  France  would  one  day  be  filled,  by  the  flowers  of  his 
learned  writings." 

At  one  time  rose-water  was  largely  consumed  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  food,  and  the  seasoning  of  various  dishes.  In  the  "Pri- 
vate life  of  the  French,"  it  is  mentioned  that  in  the  fourteenth 
century,  the  Cornte  d'Etampes  gave  a  feast,  in  which  a  large 
part  of  the  dishes,  and  even  the  chestnuts  were  prepared  with 
rose-water.  It  is  still  used  to  flavor  various  dishes,  but  its  prin- 
cipal use  is  in  affections  of  the  eyelids,  or  as  a  perfume  for  the 
toilet.  The  principal  consumption  of  rose-water  is  however  in 
the  East,  where  the  inhabitants  are  very  fond  of  perfumes.  In 
Persia  a  very  large  quantity  is  made  annually,  for  domestic  use. 
They  deem  it  an  excellent  beverage  mixed  with  pure  water. 

The  Corinth  Grape,  mixed  with  rose-water,  and  a  slight  infu- 
sion of  spices,  is  the  nectar  so  much  in  vogue  among  the  Greeks 
of  Morea.  The  Persians,  according  to  Lebruyn,  sprinkle  with 
rose-water  those  who  visit  them.  They  also  make  it  an  impor- 
tant article  of  commerce ;  large  quantities  are  sent  to  different 
parts  of  the  East,  and  entire  cargoes  are  sometimes  shipped 
to  India. 


PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE.  47 

In  Egypt,  the  nobles  and  wealthy  inhabitants  consume  large 
quantities  of  rose-water ;  they  scatter  it  over  their  divans,  and 
other  places  where  they  spend  their  time ;  they  also  offer  it  with 
confectionary,  to  their  visitors. 

The  custom  of  offering  rose-water  to  a  guest,  is  alluded  to  by 
Shakspeare,  who  makes  one  of  his  characters  in  Padua  say : 

"  What  is  it  your  honor  will  command  1 
Let  one  attend  him  with  a  silver  bason 
Full  of  rose-water,  and  bestrewed  with  flowers." 

Almost  all  the  rose-water  used  in  this  country  is  distilled  in 
the  province  of  Fayoum,  from  the  pale  rose.  "  About  the  mid- 
dle of  February,  in  Fayoum,"  says  a  French  writer,  "  they  pluck 
the  roses  every  morning  before  sunrise,  while  the  dew  is  yet 
upon  them  ;  they  then  place  them  immediately  in  the  alembic, 
not  allowing  them  to  become  dry  or  heated  by  remaining  too 
long  a  time  without  distillation.  This  lucrative  branch  of  manu- 
facture has  not  escaped  the  monopoly  of  Mehemet  Ali.  No 
private  individual  can  now  distil  roses  in  Egypt,  and  those  who 
cultivate  them  are  obliged  to  sell  the  petals  to  government  at  a 
low  price.  The  value  of  all  the  rose-water  distilled  in  Fayoum, 
annually,  is  estimated  at  50,000  or  60,000  francs."  Of  the  pro- 
fusion with  which  rose-water  is  used  in  India,  some  idea  may 
be  formed  from  the  narrative  of  Bishop  Heber,  who  was  shown, 
in  the  ruins  of  the  palace  of  Ghazepoor,  a  deep  trench  round 
an  octagonal  platform  of  blue,  red,  and  white  mosaic  pavement. 
This  trench,  he  was  told,  was  filled  with  rose-water  when  the 
Nawab  and  his  friends  were  feasting  in  the  middle.  "The 
ancient  oil  of  roses,"  according  to  Loudon,  "is  obtained  by  bruising 
fresh  rose-petals,  mixing  them  with  four  times  their  weight  of 
olive  oil,  and  leaving  them  in  a  sand -heat  for  two  days.  If  the 
red  Rose  de  Provins  is  used,  the  oil  is  said  to  imbibe  no  odor ; 
but  if  the  petals  of  pale  roses  are  employed,  it  becomes  per- 
fumed. This  preparation  was  celebrated  among  the  ancients. 
Pliny  says  that,  according  to  Homer,  roses  were  macerated  for 
their  oil  in  the  time  of  the  Trojans.  The  oil  is  chiefly  used  for 


48  PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

the  hair,  and  is  generally  sold  in  perfumers'  shops,  both  in 
France  and  England, under  the  name  of  Vhuile  antique  de  Rose" 

Spirit  of  roses  is  made  by  distilling  rose-petals  with  a  small 
quantity  of  spirits  of  wine,  and  forms  an  agreeable  article  for 
external  applications.  The  green  leaves  of  the  sweet  briar  are 
sometimes,  in  France,  steeped  in  spirits  of  wine,  to  impart  a  fra- 
grance ;  and  in  England  they  are  frequently  used  to  flavor  cow- 
slip wine. 

As  the  petals  of  the  rose  preserve  their  fragrance  for  a  long 
time  after  being  dried,  many  are  in  the  habit  of  making  annu- 
ally little  bags  filled  with  them.  These,  being  placed  in  a 
drawer  or  wardrobe,  impart  an  agreeable  perfume  to  the  linen 
or  clothing  with  which  they  may  come  in  contact.  The  petals 
can  be  obtained  from  almost  any  garden,  in  sufficient  quantity 
for  this  purpose,  and  can  be  dried  by  the  process  mentioned  here- 
after. The  confectioners,  distillers,  and  perfumers,  of  France, 
draw  from  the  Rose  the  greater  part  of  their  perfumes,  particu- 
larly from  damascena  and  centifolia,  in  fixing  their  sweet  odors 
in  sugar-plums,  creams,  ices,  oils,  pomatum,  essences,  and  fra- 
grant powders. 

The  petals  of  the  Rose,  after  being  freshly  picked  and  bruised 
in  a  marble  mortar,  until  they  are  reduced  to  a  sort  of  paste,  are 
employed  in  the  preparation  of  different  kinds  of  confectionary. 
Of  this  paste  the  French  also  make  little  perfume  balls,  of  the 
size  of  a  pea.  They  are  made  round  in  the  same  manner  as 
pills,  and  before  becoming  hard,  they  are  pierced  with  a  needle 
and  thread  on  a  piece  of  silk.  In  a  little  while  they  become  hard 
like  wood,  assume  a  brownish  color,  and  emit  a  delightful  per- 
fume. This  rose  scent  continues  very  long,  and  one  writer  re- 
marks, that  he  has  known  a  necklace,  made  in  this  style,  possess, 
at  the  end  of  25  years,  as  strong  a  perfume  as  when  first  made. 

In  Great  Britain,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  large  cities,  and  in  many 
private  gardens,  the  flowers  are  gathered  for  making  rose-water 
or  for  drying  as  perfumes.  In  Holland,  the  Dutch  hundred- 
leaved  and  common  cabbage-rose  are  grown  extensively  at 
Noordwich,  between  Leyden  and  Haarlem,  and  the  dried  leaves 


PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE.  49 

are  sent  to  Amsterdam  and  Constantinople.  In  France,  the 
Provins  Rose  is  extensively  cultivated  near  the  town  of  Provins, 
about  60  miles  south-e$,st  of  Paris,  and  also  at  Fontenay  aux 
Roses,  near  Paris,  for  the  manufacture  of  rose-water,  or  for 
exportation  in  a  dried  state.  The  petals  of  the  Provins  Rose 
(Rosa  gallica)  are  the  only  ones  that  are  said  to  gain  additional 
fragrance  in  drying ;  all  the  other  varieties  losing  in  this  process 
more  or  less  of  their  perfume.  A  French  writer  states,  that 
apothecaries  employ  both  pale  and  red  roses ;  the  pale  give  the 
most  perfume,  while  the  red  keep  the  longest. 

Loudon  states,  that  "the  petals  of  roses  ought  always  to  be 
gathered  as  soon  as  the  flower  is  fully  expanded ;  and  the  gath- 
ering should  never  be  deferred  until  it  has  begun  to  fade ;  be- 
cause, in  the  latter  case,  the  petals  are  not  only  discolored,  but 
weakened  in  their  perfume  and  their  medical  properties.  They 
should  be  immediately  separated  from  the  calyx,  and  the  claws 
of  the  petals  pinched  off;  they  are  then  dried  in  the  shade,  if  the 
weather  is  dry  and  warm,  or  by  a  stove  in  a  room,  if  the  season 
is  humid  ;  care  being  taken,  in  either  case,  not  to  spread  them  on 
the  ground,  but  on  a  platform  raised  two  or  three  feet  above  it. 
The  drying  should  be  conducted  expeditiously,  because  it  has 
been  found  that  slowly  dried  petals  do  not  exhale  near  so  much 
odor  as  those  which  have  been  dried  quickly  ;  which  is  also  the 
case  with  hay,  sweet  herbs,  and  odoriferous  vegetables  generally. 
After  the  petals  are  dried,  they  are  free  from  any  sand,  dust,  or 
eggs  of  insects,  which  may  adhere  to  them,  by  shaking  them  and 
rubbing  them  gently  in  a  fine  seive.  After  this  the  petals  are  put 
into  close  vessels,  from  which  the  air  is  excluded,  and  which  are 
kept  in  a  dry,  airy  situation. 

"  As  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  free  the  rose-petals  entirely  from 
the  eggs  of  insects,  they  are  taken  out  of  these  vessels  two  or  three 
times  a  year,  placed  in  seives,  rubbed,  cleaned,  and  replaced." 

I  have  been  careful  to  give  the  details  of  the  above  process, 
because  it  may  be  useful  to  those  who  embark  extensively  in 
the  cultivation  of  roses,  for  the  exportation  of  petals  in  a  dried  in 
state.  Judging  from  facts  in  vegetable  physiology,  we  should 

5 


50  PERFUMES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

suppose  that  rose-petals  produced  in  this  latitude,  where  the  Rose 
has  a  long  period  of  hibernation,  would  produce  more  perfume 
and  be  more  valuable  in  a  dried  state  than  those  grown  under  the 
tropics.  The  Provins  and  Damask  Rose  are  both  known  to  suc- 
ceed well  here  and  to  produce  abundant  flowers.  Their  fra- 
grance is  unsurpassed,  and  our  summer's  sun  would  be  abundantly 
sufficient  to  dry  the  petals  without  any  artificial  heat.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  hope  that  the  attention  of  our  cultivators  may  yet 
be  directed  to  this  subject,  and  that  the  manufacture  of  rose-water 
and  the  preparation  of  dried  petals  may  yet  be  an  important 
branch  of  domestic  industry,  and  form  an  important  addition  to 
the  list  of  exported  articles. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROPBRTIES  OF  THE  ROSE. 


E  have  hitherto  viewed  the  Rose  as  the  chief 
ornament  of  our  gardens,  and  if  we  have 
found  it  abounding  with  charms  of  fragrance 
and  beauty,  we  shall  now  find  it  occupying 
a  prominent  place  in  materia  medica.  Some 
authors  have,  with  a  degree  of  exaggeration, 
endeavored  to  make  its  medical  as  brilliant  as  its  floral  reputa- 
tion. Rosenberg,  in  his  work  on  the  Rose,  makes  it  a  specific  in 
every  disease,  and  even  attributes  to  it  supernatural  virtues. 

In  the  opinion  of  most  medical  men,  the  medical  properties  of 
the  Rose  are  about  the  same  in  all  the  kinds,  while  some  writers 
assert  that  the  Rosa  gallica  is  superior  to  all  others  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree.  We  will  mention  those  principally  used  in  medi- 
cine, and  the  properties  which  are  especially  attributed  to  each. 

The  most  valuable  properties  of  the  Rose  reside  in  its  petals, 
and  in  order  to  preserve  these  properties,  it  is  highly  essential 
that  the  petals  should  be  quickly  and  perfectly  dried.  Those  of 
the  Provins  Rose  (Rosa  gallica}  have  an  astringent  and  some- 
what bitter  taste,  and  are  tonic  and  astringent  in  their  effects. 

According  to  an  analysis  recently  made  in  France,  they  con- 
tain, besides  vegetable  matter  and  essential  oil,  a  portion  of  gallic 
acid,  coloring  matter,  albumen,  tannin,  some  salts,  with  a  base  of 
potash  or  of  chalk,  silex  and  oxyde  of  iron.  A  small  dose  in  pow- 
der strengthens  the  stomach  and  assists  digestion.  Their  pro- 


52  MEDICAL    PROPERTIES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

longed  use  will  sometimes  cause  a  slight  constipation  of  the 
bowels,  while  in  a  much  stronger  dose  they  act  as  purgatives. 

The  conserve  of  the  Provins  Rose  has  much  reputation  in 
France,  for  the  treatment  of  all  chronics  and  affections  of  the 
bowels,  caused  by  weakness  and  inactivity  of  the  digestive  organs ; 
it  is  also  employed  in  colic,  in  diarrhoea,  in  cases  of  hemorrhage 
and  leucorrhcea. 

The  conserve  of  any  variety  of  roses  is  considered  excellent  in 
cases  of  cold  or  catarrh.  It  is  prepared  by  bruising  in  a  mortar 
the  petals  with  their  weight  in  sugar,  and  moistening  them  with 
a  little  rose-water,  until  the  whble  forms  a  homogeneous  mass. 
Some  receipts  prescribe  powdered  petals  mixed  with  an  equal 
part  of  sugar ;  others  direct  to  use  two  layers  of  sugar  and  only 
one  layer  of  pulverized  petals. 

Opoix,  a  physician  of  Provins,  states  that  the  true  Rose  of  Pro- 
vins has  a  more  sweet  and  penetrating  fragrance  than  the  same 
rose  grown  elsewhere,  and  even  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  they 
have  acquired  properties  which  they  do  not  possess  in  their  native 
country,  the  Caucasus.  On  account  of  the  supposed  superior 
qualities  of  this  rose,  the  citizens  of  Provins,  in  1807,  addressed 
a  petition  to  government  to  encourage  in  their  territory  the  culti- 
vation of  the  true  Provins  Rose,  by  giving  it  the  preference  in  all 
the  hospitals  and  military  dispensaries.  This  gave  rise  to  a  dis- 
cussion between  two  French  chemists,  but  without  deciding  the 
fact  whether  the  Rosa  gallica  was  superior  in  medical  properties 
to  any  other  rose.  It  seems  to  be  acknowledged  that  those  culti- 
vated at  Provins  were  superior  to  the  same  kind  grown  else- 
where, and  this  superiority  is  attributed  by  some  to  the  presence 
of  iron  in  the  soil  about  that  city.  It  was  probably  owing  also 
to  the  very  careful  cultivation  practised  there.  The  petals  are 
used  extensively  in  several  medical  preparations,  as  the  sugar  of 
roses,  the  ointment  of  roses,  the  treacle  of  roses,  &c.  Rose-water 
is,  however,  more  extensively  used  in  medicine  than  any  other 
preparation  of  the  rose.  This  water,  when  manufactured  from 
the  gallica  or  any  other  variety  of  the  centifolice,  is  employed 
internally  as  an  astringent,  and  is  sometimes  mixed  with  other 


MEDICAL    PROPERTIES    OF    THE    ROSE.  53 


medicines  to  destroy  their  disagreeable  smell  and  taste.  In  exter- 
nal applications,  it  is  used  principally  for  affections  of  the  eyes, 
either  alone  or  with  some  ointment. 

The  alcoholic  tincture  of  roses,  or  spirit  of  roses  before  described, 
which  was  formerly  given  as  a  stimulus  in  many  cases,  has  now 
fallen  very  much  into  disuse,  medical  opinion  being  very  much 
against  the  employment  of  any  alcoholic  medicines  excepting  in 
very  rare  cases. 

The  syrup  of  roses,  manufactured  from  the  pale  or  damask 
rose,  is  sometimes  employed  as  a  purgative,  and  was  once  highly 
esteemed  and  recommended  as  a  mild  laxative.  It  is  now,  how- 
ever, scarcely  considered  purgative,  and  its  laxative  properties  are 
probably  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the  senna  and  other  arti- 
cles which  enter  into  its  preparation. 

The  electuary  of  roses,  which  is  now  no  longer  used,  was  also 
probably  indebted  for  its  medical  qualities  to  the  addition  of 
scammony,  a  very  strong  purgative. 

Vinegar  of  roses  ^  made  by  simply  infusing  dried  rose-petals 
in  the  best  distilled  vinegar,  to  which  they  communicate  their 
perfume.  It  is  used  for  cooking  and  for  the  toilet,  and  is  valu- 
able for  headaches  when  applied  in  the  same  way  as  common 
vinegar.  The  ancients  prepared  this  vinegar,  and  also  the  wine 
and  oil  of  roses,  which  are  no  longer  used. 

Honey  of  roses  is  made  by  beating  up  rose-petals  with  a  very 
small  portion  of  boiling  water ;  the  liquid,  after  being  filtered,  is 
boiled  with  honey.  This  is  esteemed  for  sore  throats,  for  ulcers 
in  the  mouth,  and  for  anything  that  is  benefited  by  the  use  of 
honey. 

The  fruit  of  the  rose  is  said  also  to  possess  some  astringent 
properties  ;  the  pulp  of  the  fruit  of  the  wild  varieties,  particularly 
of  the  dog-rose,  after  being  separated  from  the  seeds  and  beaten 
up  in  a  mortar  with  sugar,  makes  a  sort  of  conserve  known  in 
medicine  under  the  name  of  Cynorrhodon. 

Children  in  the  country  sometimes  eat  these  fruits  after  they 
have  attained  perfect  maturity,  and  have  been  somewhat  mel- 
lowed by  the  frost;  they  then  lose  their  pungent  taste  and  be- 

5* 


54  MEDICAL    PROPERTIES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

come  a  little  sweet.  Belanger,  a  French  writer  who  traveled  in 
Persia  in  1825,  found  in  that  country  a  rose  whose  fruit  was  very 
agreeably  flavored.  The  apple-bearing  rose  (R.  villosa  pomifera) 
produces  the  largest  fruit  of  all,  and  is  the  best  adapted  for  pre- 
serving ;  but  an  English  writer  remarks,  that  the  fruit  of  R.  sys- 
tyla  and  R.  arvensis,  although  of  a  smaller  size,  bears  a  higher 
flavor  than  that  of  any  other  species.  Rose-buds,  like  the  fruit, 
are  also  frequently  preserved  in  sugar,  and  pickled  in  vinegar. 
Tea  is  sometimes  made  of  the  leaves  of  the  rose,  which  are  also 
eaten  readily  by  the  domestic  animals. 

The  ends  of  the  young  shoots  of  the  sweet  briar,  deprived  of 
their  bark  and  foliage,  and  cut  into  short  pieces,  are  sometimes 
candied  and  sold  by  the  confectioners. 

The  Dog-Rose  takes  its  name  from  the  virtue  which  the  an- 
cients attributed  to  its  root,  as  a  cure  for  hydrophobia. 

The  heathen  deities  themselves,  according  to  Pliny,  revealed 
this  marvelous  property,  in  dream,  to  a  mother  whose  son  had 
been  bitten  by  a  dog  affected  with  this  terrij^le  disease. 

The  excrescences  frequently  found  on  the  branches  of  the  Rose, 
and  particularly  on  those  of  the  wild  varieties,  known  to  drug- 
gists by  the  Arabic  name  of  bedeguar,  and  which  resemble  in 
form  a  little  bunch  of  moss,  partake  equally  of  the  astringent  pro- 
perties of  the  Rose.  These  excrescences  are  caused  by  the  punc- 
ture of  a  little  insect,  known  to  naturalists  as  the  equips  rosce, 
and  occasionally  nearly  the  same  effects  are  produced  by  other 
insects. 


CHAPTEK    VII. 


GENERAL   REMARKS. 

HE  name  of  the  Rose  is  very  similar  in  most 
languages,  but  of  its  primitive  derivation  very 
little  or  nothing  is  known.  It  is  rhodon  in 
Greek  ;  rhos,  in  Celtic ;  rosa,  in  Latin,  Ital- 
ian, Spanish,  Portuguese,  Hungarian,  and 
Polish ;  rose,  in  French,  Saxon,  and  Eng- 
lish ;  rosen,  in  German ;  roose,  in  Dutch  ; 
rhosha,  in  Sclavonic ;  ros,  in  Irish  ;  ruoze,  in  Bohemian  ;  ouas- 
rath,  in  Arabic ;  nisrin,  in  Turkish ;  chabhatzeleth,  in  Hebrew ; 
and  gul,  in  Persian.  These  are  the  various  names  by  which 
the  flower  has  •  been  known  from  very  early  times,  and  a  strong 
resemblance  can  be  traced  through  all.  The  Latin  name,  rosa, 
also  forms  a  component  part  of  terms  used  to  designate  several 
other  things. 

The  name  of  rosary  was  given  to  a  string  of  beads  used  in  the 
Romish  Church  to  represent  a  certain  number  of  prayers  ;  it  was 
instituted  about  the  year  667,  but  was  not  much  used  until  Peter 
the  hermit  excited  the  Christian  nations  to  the  Crusade,  about 
1096.  Dominique,  a  Romish  saint,  established,  in  1207,  the 
brotherhood  of  the  Rosary,  and  the  festival  of  the  Rose  was  in- 
stituted in  1571  by  Pope  Pius  V.,  in  thanksgiving  for  the  victory 
gained  by  the  Christians  over  the  Turks  at  Lepante.  Subse- 


56  GENERAL    REMARKS. 

quent  popes  gave  to  that  ceremony  more  eclat,  and  caused  it  to 
be  established  in  Spain.  The  name  of  rosary  was  formerly  also 
given  to  the  vessel  used  in  distilling  rose-water.  This  flower  has 
also  given  the  idea  of  new  forms  of  beauty  in  architecture  and 
the  arts.  A  rose  is  sometimes  sculptured  in  the  centre  of  each 
face  of  a  Corinthian  capital.  It  is  also  frequently  seen  in  iron 
castings  for  the  banisters  of  the  stone  steps  of  a  house,  and  it 
is  sometimes  displayed  upon  the  pavement  in  front  of  some 
splendid  mansion.  This,  however,  is  rare  in  the  United  States, 
although  frequent  in  Europe. 

Among  all  the  imitations  of  the  Rose,  none  can  compare  with 
those  painted  on  glass,  some  of  which  can  be  found  in  the  win- 
dows of  celebrated  European  Cathedrals  in  Canterbury,  Cologne, 
Milan,  Rheims,  St.  Denis  and  others.  We  can  scarcely  imagine 
anything  more  beautifully  soft  than  these  paintings  on  glass,  as 
seen  from  the  interior  of  a  church,  in  the  rich  light  of  a  glowing 
sun-set ;  the  Rose  thus  painted  seems  to  possess  all  the  freshness 
and  beauty  of  the  real  flower. 

The  nave  of  the  Cathedral  of  Paris,  besides  twenty-four  large 
windows,  is  lighted  by  three  others,  large  and  magnificent,  in 
the  shape  of  a  Rose,  which  are  each  forty  feet  in  diameter.  The 
paintings  on  glass  which  ornament  these  windows  were  executed 
in  the  13th  century,  and  still  retain  their  fresh  and  bright  colors : 
that  over  the  grand  entrance  represents  the  signs  of  the  zodiac, 
and  the  agricultural  labors  of  each  month. 

In  heraldry,  the  rose  frequently  forms  part  of  a  shield,  in  full 
bloom,  with  a  bud  in  the  centre,  and  with  five  points  to  imitate 
thorns  ;  it  is  an  emblem  of  beauty  and  of  nobility  acquired  with 
difficulty. 

The  Golden  Rose  was  considered  so  honorable  a  present,  that 
none  but  monarchs  were  worthy  to  receive  it. 

In  the  llth  century,  the  Pope  introduced  the  custom  of  bless- 
ing a  golden  Rose,  which  he  presented  to  some  church,  or  to 
some  prince  or  princess,  as  an  especial  mark  of  his  favor. 

In  1096,  the  Pope  Urban  II.  gave  a  Golden  Rose  to  the  Comte 
d'Anjou.  Alexander  III.  sent  one  to  Louis,  King  of  France, 


GENERAL    REMARKS.  57 

in  acknowledgment  of  the  attentions  of  that  prince  during  the 
pope's  visit  to  France,  as  stated  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote  the  king. 

"  In  accordance  with  the  custom  of  our  ancestors,  in  carrying 
a  rose  of  gold  in  their  hands  on  Dimanche  Laetare,  we  do  not 
think  we  can  present  it  to  one  who  merits  it  more  than  yourself, 
from  your  devotion  to  the  Church  and  to  ourselves." 

Pope  John,  in  1415,  sent  the  Golden  Rose  to  the  Emperor  Sigis- 
mund.  Martin  V.,  in  1418,  sent  another  to  the  same  prince.  Pius- 
II.,  in  1461,  sent  one  to  Thomas  Paleologue,  emperor  of  Con- 
stantinople. Henry  VIII.,  of  England,  before  his  separation  from 
the  Church  of  Rome,  received-  the  Golden  Rose  twice  ;  the  first 
from  Julius  II.,  and  the  second  from  Leo  X. :  and  recently,  in 
1842,  the  Pope's  Nuncio  Capaccini  presented  it  to  Donna  Maria, 
dueen  of  Portugal. 

The  public  ceremony  of  blessing  the  Rose  was  not  instituted 
until  1366,  by  Urban  V. :  that  pontiff,  wishing  to  give  a  particu- 
lar mark  of  his  esteem  to  Joanna,  Q,ueen  of  Sicily,  solemnly 
blessed  a  Golden  Rose,  which  he  sent  her,  and  made  at  the  same 
time  a  decree,  that  a  similar  one  should  be  consecrated  every 
year.  For  fifty  or  sixty  years,  the  Pope  gave  the  Rose  to  princes 
who  came  to  Rome ;  and  it  was  the  custom  to  give  500  louis  to 
the  officer  who  carried  it  for  the  Pope.  The  Rose,  in  its  intrinsic 
value,  was  however  sometimes  worth  double  that  sum. 

We  have  thus  given  all  the  information  we  have  been  able 
to  collect  respecting  the  history  of  the  Rose. 

We  shall  feel  abundantly  gratified  if  the  facts  and  anecdotes 
we  have  cited,  shall  tend  to  enhance  the  already  growing  interest 
in  this  flower ;  and  by  thus  connecting  it  with  the  lore  of  an- 
tiquity, cast  around  it  a  bright  halo  of  pleasant  associations. 

Among  the  various  riches  of  the  garden,  there  are  many  flowers 
of  great  attractions  :  some  we  admire  for  their  beautiful  forms, 
others  for  their  brilliant  colors ;  and  others  again  for  their  delight- 
ful fragrance :  and  we  scarcely  know  which  to  pronounce  the 
most  pleasing.  But  whatever  may  be  our  feelings  of  admiration 
for  these  beautiful  flowers,  a  desire  for  something  still  more 


GENERAL    REMARKS. 


beautiful  draws  us  to  the  Rose,  and  compels  us  to  pronounce  it 
superior  to  all  its  rivals.  It  is  the  Rose  alone  that  never  fatigues, 
that  always  exhibits  some  new  beauty,  and  that  is  never  affected 
by  fashion  ;  for  while  Dahlias  and  other  flowers  have  had  their 
hour  of  favor,  and  have  passed  out  of  notice,  the  Rose  has  been 
a  favorite  for  some  three  thousand  years,  and  is  still  the  first  and 
most  beautiful, — the  chef  cPceuvre  of  the  vegetable  kingdom. 

The  Rose  is  rendered  a  favorite  by  many  pleasant  associations. 
It  has  been,  as  we  have  shown,  the  cherished  flower  of  the  an- 
cient poets,  and  it  will  be  shown  again,  that  with  modern  poets, 
it  has  lost  none  of  its  charms,  but  is  still  apostrophized  and  made 
an  object  of  frequent  comparison.  With  the  ancients,  it  was, 
as  we  have  seen,  the  ornament  of  their  festivals,  their  altars,  and 
their  tombs :  it  was  the  emblem  of  beauty,  youth,  modesty  and 
innocence,  and  was  full  of  tender  sentiment  and  pleasant  images. 
A  French  writer,  in  a  somewhat  more  extravagant  vein  of  lau- 
dation, says,  "  Its  name  alone  gives  birth  in  all  sensible  minds  to 
a  crowd  of  pleasant  thoughts,  while,  at  the  same  time,  it  excites 
a  sensation  of  the  most  delightful  pleasures,  and  the  most  sweet 
enjoyments."  The  name  of  "  Queen  of  Flowers,"  has  been 
given  to  the  Rose,  almost  from  time  immemorial ;  but  this  name 
is  particularly  applicable  to  the  centifolia  and  the  hybrids  from 
it,  among  which  the  Rose  figured  in  this  work — La  Relne — stands 
conspicuous.  For  size,  form  and  brilliant  color,  it  stands  indeed 
the  Queen  among  Roses.  But  the  little,  modest  wild-rose,  found 
only  in  woods  and  hedges,  adorns  the  solitude  where  it  grows, 
and  possesses  for  many  a  charm  not  surpassed  by  that  of  any 
of  the  cultivated  varieties  :  its  regularly  formed  corolla,  of  a  soft 
and  delicate  color,  combines  in  its  simplicity  many  an  attraction 
not  found  in  the  most  beautiful  flowers  of  the  garden  ;  and  late 
in  the  season,  when  the  fields  are  stripped  of  their  verdure,  the 
landscape  is  enlivened  by  the  bright  appearance  of  its  red,  coral- 
like  fruit. 

The  beauty  of  the  Rose  has  preserved  it  and  its  reputation  for 
many  ages.  The  most  populous  nations,  the  largest  cities,  the  most 
wealthy  and  powerful  kingdoms,  have  disappeared  from  the  earth, 


GENERAL    REMARKS.  59 


or  have  been  involved  in  the  revolutions  and  subversions  of  em- 
pires, while  a  simple  flower  has  escaped  them  all,  and  still  remains 
to  tell  its  story.  It  has  seen  a  hundred  generations  succeed  each 
other,  and  pass  away;  it  has  traveled  through  ages  without 
changing  its  destiny  or  losing  its  character :  the  homage  ren- 
dered and  the  love  borne  it  has  been  always  the  same :  now,  as 
in  the  earliest  periods  of  the  world's  history,  it  is  decreed  the  first 
place  in  the  floral  kingdom.  In  these  days,  as  in  those  of  an- 
tiquity, it  is  par  excellence,  the  Q,ueen  of  flowers,  because  it  is 
always  the  most  beautiful,  and  because  no  other  flower  can  fur- 
nish half  its  charms.  To  elegance  and  beauty  of  form  it  unites 
the  freshness  and  brilliance  of  the  most  agreeable  colors,  and,  as 
if  nature  had  showered  upon  it  all  her  most  precious  gifts,  it  adds 
to  its  other  qualities  a  delightful  perfume,  wflich  alone  would 
suffice  to  entitle  it  to  a  distinguished  place  among  the  beautiful 
and  pleasant  things  of  the  vegetable  kingdom. 


POETEY  OF  THE  ROSE. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Round  every  flower  there  gleams  a  glory, 
Bequeathed  by  antique  song  or  story; 
To  each  old  legends  give  a  name, 
And  its  peculiar  charm  proclaim. 
O'er  smiling  lawn,  through  shady  grove, 
Our  dreaming  poets  pensive  rove, 
And  strive  to  read  their  language  rare, 
And  learn  the  lesson  latent  there." 

OETRY  has  been  defined  to  be  that  which 

suggests  to  the  mind  glowing  thoughts  and 
pleasant  images.  We  have  the  poetry  of  mo- 
tion, whether  displayed  in  the  beautiful  and 
bounding  steps  of  a  noble  stag,  the  spirit-stir- 
ring course  of  the  Arabs'  favorite,  or  the  grace- 
ful gait  and  winning  gestures  of  a  beautiful 
and  highly  cultivated  woman.  We  have,  too,  the  poetry  of  form, 
whether  dwelling  in  the  quiet  beauty  of  Trinity  spire,  leaning 
against  the  clear,  blue  sky,  or  whether  breathing  in  the  many 
forms  of  natural  beauty  around  us — the  ever-varying  expression 
of  an  intellectual  human  face,  the  rippling  course  of  flowing 
and  shaded  waters,  the  stately  oak  of  the  forest,  the  quivering 
leaf  upon  the  tree,  or  the  simple  flower  of  the  field.  Willis  dis- 
courses eloquently  upon  unwritten  music  and  the  various  pleas- 
ant tones  breathed  by  Nature  into  the  ear  of  him  whose  spirit  is 
attuned  to  their  harmony.  So,  also,  the  world  is  full  of  unwrit- 
ten poetry  ;  it  is  everywhere  around  us,  and  always  visible  to 
the  eye  that  is  accustomed  to  look  for  its  presence.  There  is 
poetry  in  the  dreariness  of  winter,  in  the  purity  of  the  quiet- 

6 


62  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

falling  snow-flake,  in  the  glittering  splendor  of  a  whole  land- 
scape encased  with  ice,  and  the  rose-bushes  bending  under  the 
weight  of  their  gem-like  covering.  And  when  the  bonds  of 
winter  are  loosened,  and  the  plant,  just  awakening  from  its  long 
sleep,  begins  to  put  forth  its  energies,  it  is  poetry  to  watch  the  grad- 
ual swelling  of  the  leaf-bud,  the  first  appearance  of  the  delicate 
leaflets,  and  the  full  development  of  the  mature  leaf  and  branch. 
And  when  the  sun's  rays  are  becoming  more  powerful,  and  the 
infant  bud  appears,  it  is  poetry  to  watch  the  gradual  unfolding 
of  the  flowers,  the  opening  of  the  calyx  to  its  ruby-pointed  in- 
mate, the  appearance  of  the  beautifully  formed  bud,  and  the  full 
expansion  of  the  perfect  flower.  At  midsummer,  too,  it  is  poetry 
to  lie  under  the  shade  of  a  noble  forest  tree,  and  gaze  upon  the 
various  forms  of  beauty  displayed  in  the  roses  scattered  about 
the  lawn. 

"  'T  is  poetry  to  lie 

By  the  clear  brook,  where  the  long  bennet  dips : 
To  press  the  rose-bud,  in  its  purity, 
Unto  the  burning  lips." 

It  is  this  poetry,  this  appreciation  of  the  various  forms  of 
natural  beauty  that  are  always  around  us,  which  tends,  more 
than  anything  of  earth,  to  elevate  the  mind  and  to  improve  the 
moral  affections  of  him  who  yields  himself  to  their  influence. 
Its  effect  is  truly  conservative,  and  productive  of  the  happiest 
results,  when  duly  appreciated. 

This  species  of  poetry  cannot,  however,  be  readily  put  upon 
paper ;  it  is  too  etherial  to  pass  under  the  press. 

The  poetry  for  our  purpose  we  must  define  to  be  the  graceful 
expression  of  a  beautiful  thought ;  and  these  expressions  and 
thoughts  we  have  gathered  from  various  fields  into  a  bouquet, 
which  we  hope  will  present  some  features  of  beauty.  Our 
selections  have  in  some  cases  been  made  from  collections  of 
fugitive  poetry,  where  the  authors'  names  are  not  given,  and  we 
cannot  therefore  attach  due  credit. 

Our  object  in  this  work  is  to  interest  all ;  and  we  hope  that 
those  whose  ears  are  not  open  to  pleasant  sounds,  will  endure 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  63 


this  chapter  for  the  sake  of  the  more  practical  matter  contained 
elsewhere,  while  some  will  perhaps  be  attracted  to  other  chapters 
by  the  pleasure  they  have  derived  from  this. 


TO  THE  ROSE. 

Fruitless  and  endless  were  the  task,  I  ween, 

With  every  flower  to  grace  my  votive  lay ; 
And  unto  thee,  their  long  acknowledged  Queen, 

Fairest  and  loveliest !  and  thy  gentle  sway, 
Beautiful  Rose,  my  homage  I  must  pay ; 

For  how  can  minstrel  leave  thy  charms  unsung, 
Whose  meek  supremacy  has  been  alway 

Confess'd,  in  many  a  clime  and  many  a  tongue, 
And  in  whose  praise  the  harp  of  many  a  bard  has  sung  ? 

Mine  is  unworthy  such  a  lovely  theme ; 

Yet,  could  I  borrow  of  that  tuneful  bird 
Who  sings  thy  praises  by  the  moon's  pale  beam — 

As  fancy's  graceful  legends  have  averr'd-*— 
Those  thrilling  harmonies  at  midnight  heard, 

With  sounds  of  flowing  waters, — not  in  vain 
Should  the  loose  strings  of  my  rude  harp  be  stirr'd 

By  inspiration's  breath ;  but  one  brief  strain 

Should  re-assert  thy  rights  and  celebrate  thy  reign. 

#****** 

I  love  the  Rose — it  is  a  noble  flower  ; 
In  color  rich,  and  opulent  of  leaves  : 
And  when  her  summer  garland  Flora  weaves, 

She  sees  no  fairer  beauty  in  her  bower, — 

None  which,  so  redolent  of  perfume,  flings 

A  sweeter  fragrance  on  the  zephyr's  wings. 


64  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

I  love  the  Rose — that  simple,  single  one, 
Which  decks  the  hedges  delicately  white ; 
Or,  blushing  like  a  maiden's  cheek  so  slight, 
The  eye  looks  anxious  lest  the  tint  be  gone 
Ere  it  hath  gazed  enough,  or  ere  the  spray 
Can  from  the  parent  tree  be  slipp'd  away. 

I  love  the  Rose — that  monthly  one,  which  blooms 
In  cottage  windows  ;  which  is  tended  there 
With  maiden  constancy,  by  maiden  care ; 

Which  through  all  seasons  decorates  the  rooms, 

Like  her  whose  opening  charms  appear  to  be 

A  lovely  blowing  bud  on  beauty's  tree. 

I  love  the  Rose— nor  least  when  I  perceive 
The  thistle's  pride  in  Scotia's  t>onnet  worn  ; 
The  shamrock  green  on  Erin's  banner  borne : 
O,  then  imagination  loves  to  weave 
Of  England's  emblem  flowers  a  garland  meet 
To  place  on  beauty's  brow,  or  lay  at  valor's  feet. 

I  love  the  Rose — its  presence  to  my  eye 

Like  beauty,  youth,  like  hope  and  health  appears, 
Recalling  the  gay  dreams  of  early  years  : 

And  when  I  smell  its  fragrance  wafted  by, 

I  think  of  virtue,  love,  benevolence, 

Which  moral  perfumes  round  life's  paths  dispense. 

I  love  the  Rose — for  bards  have  ever  loved 

The  queen  of  flowers — the  flower  of  beauty's  queen, 
When  in  the  hedgerow  or  the  garden  seen, 

Or  pluck'd  and  proffer'd,  by  some  friend  belov'd, 

To  gentle  lady,  and  by  her  caress'd, 

Then  braided  with  her  hair,  or  worn  upon  her  breast. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


65 


I  love  the  Rose — what  time  the  smiling  year 
Leads  forth  in  summer  glory  Flora's  train  ; 
When  orchard,  garden,  woodland,  bower  and  plain, 

Dress'd  in-  their  richest  garments  all  appear  ; 

Then — then  I  love  the  humblest  flower  that  blows, 

But  chief  of  all  the  tribe — I  love  the  Rose. 

BERNARD  BARTON. 


THE  WILD  ROSE, 

Welcome  !  oh,  welcome  once  again,  ' 

Thou  dearest  of  all  the  laughing  flowers 
That  open  their  odorous  bosoms  when 

The  summer  birds  are  in  their  bowers  ! 
There  is  none  that  I  love,  sweet  gem,  like  thee, 

So  mildly  through  the  green  leaves  stealing ; 
For  I  seem,  as  thy  delicate  flush  I  see, 
In  the  dewy  haunts  of  my  youth  to  be  ; 

And  a  gladsome  youthful  feeling 
Springs  to  my  heart,  that  not,  all  the  glare 
Of  the  blossoming  East  could  awaken  there. 

Glorious  and  glad  it  were,  no  doubt, 

Over  the  billowy  sea  to  sail, 
And  to  find  every  spot  of  the  wide  world  out, 

So  bright  and  fair  in  the  minstrel's  tale : 
To  roam  by  old  Tiber's  classic  tide 

At  eve,  when  round  the  gushing  waters 
Shades  of  renown  will  seem  to  glide, 
And  amid  the  myrtle's  flowery  pride 

Walk  Italy's  soft  daughters  : 
Or  to  see  Spain's  haughtier  damsels  rove 
Through  the  delicious  orange  grove. 


6* 


66  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Glorious  it  were,  where  the  bright  heaven  glows, 

To  wander  idly  far  away, 
And  to  scent  the  nmsk'd,  voluptuous  rose 

Of  beauty,  blest  Circassia  ! 
To  spy  some  languid  Indian  maid, 

Wooing  at  noon  the  precious  breeze, 
Beneath  the  proud  magnolia's  shade ; 
Or  a  Chilian  girl  at  random  laid 

On  a  couch  of  am ary Hides  : 
To  behold  the  cocoa-palm,  so  fair 
To  the  eye  of  the  southern  islander. 

Glorious  Camellian  blooms  to  find, 

In  the  jealous  realms  of  far  Japan, 
Or  the  epidendrum's  garlands  twiri'd 

Round  the  tall  trees  of  Hindostan. 
All  this  were  glad,  and  awhile  to  be 

Like  a  spirit  wand'ring  gaily  ; 
But  oh  !  what  souls,  to  whom  these  are  free, 
Would  give  them  all  to  share  with  me 

The  joys  that  I  gather  daily, 
When,  out  in  the  morning's  dewy  spring, 
I  mark  the  wild  Rose  blossoming  ! 

When  the  footpath's  winding  track  is  lost 

Beneath  the  deep  o'erhanging  grass, 
And  the  golden  pollen  forth  is  tost 

Thickly  upon  me  as  I  pass  ; 
When  England  is  paradise ^,11  over  ; 

When  flowers  are  breathing,  birds  are  singing ; 
When  the  honeysuckle  I  first  discover 
Balming  the  air,  and  in  the  clover 

The  early  scythe  is  ringing  ; 
When  gales  in  the  billowy  grass  delight, 
And  a  silvery  beauty  tracks  their  flight ; 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  67 

And,  more  than  all,  the  sweet,  wild  Rose, 

Starring  each  bush  in  lanes  and  glades, 
Smiles  in  each  lovelier  tint  that  glows 

On  the  cheeks  of  England's  peerless  maids : 
Some,  with  a  deeper,  fuller  hue, 

Like  lass  o'er  the  foamy  milk-pail  chanting : 
Lighter  are  some,  and  gemm'd  with  dew, 
Like  ladies  whose  lovers  all  are  true, 

And  nought  on  earth  have  wanting  ; 
But  their  eyes  on  beauteous  scenes  are  bent, 
That  own  them  their  chief  ornament. 

And  some — alas  !  that  a  British  maid 

In  beauty  should  ever  resemble  them  !— 
Like  damsel  heart-broken  and  betray'd, 

Droop  softly  on  their  slender  stem  : 
Hid  in  the  wild-wood's  deepest  shade, 

Flowers  of  such  snowy  loveliness, 
That  almost  without  light  fancy's  aid, 
Seem  they  for  touching  emblems  made, 

Of  beauty  smitten  by  distress. 
But  enough — the  wild  Rose  is  the  queen  of  June. 
When  flowers  are  abroad  and  birds  in  tune. 

MARY  HOWITT. 


THE   WILD   ROSE. 

Gorgeous  and  bright  is  the  garden,  I  ween, 
Where  thousand-leaved  roses  are  richest  in  sheen  ; 
But,  lady,  the  plain  little  wild  Rose  for  me, 
That  blooms  in  the  shade  of  the  tall  forest-tree. 

The  proud  multi flora,  so  vain  of  its  charms, 

Flaunts  wide  in  the  sunshine  its  broad-spreading  arms  ; 


68  POETRY    OF   -THE    ROSE. 

But  give  me  the  wild  Rose,  ashamed  to  be  seen, 
That  blushes  and  hides  in  its  mantle  of  green. 

The  Rose  of  the  garden  may  boast  its  perfume, 
And  true  it  smells  sweetly  while  lingers  its  bloom  ; 
But  give  me  the  Eglantine,  blushing  alone, 
That  still  scents  the  gale  when  its  blossoms  are  gone. 

Let  others  encircle  their  brows  with  the  flowers 
By  culture  made  bright  for  a  few  fleeting  hours ; 
Far  dearer  to  me  is  the  wild  flower  that  grows 
Unseen,  by  the  brook  where  in  shadow  it  flows. 

There  hie,  gentle  maid,  where  the  wild  blossoms  grow, 
And  cull  me  a  wreath  to  encircle  my  brow  : 
One  sweet  little  Rose  for  my  bosom  shall  be ; 
And,  lady,  that  sweet  little  Rose  shall  be  thee. 


THE  CHILD  AND  THE  ROSE, 

When  stirring  bud  and  songful  bird 
Brought  gladness  to  the  earth, 

And  spring-time  voices  first  were  heard 
In  low,  sweet  sounds  of  mirth ; 

A  little  child,  with  pleasant  eyes. 

Reclined  in  tranquil  thought. 
And,  half  communing  with  the  skies, 

His  pretty  fancies  wrought. 

He  turned  where,  cased  in  robe  of  green. 

A  rose-bud  met  his  eye, 
And  one  faint  streak  the  leaves  between. 

Rich  in  its  crimson  dye. 


POETRY    OP    THE    ROSE.  09 


The  warm  light  gathereth  in  the  sky, 

The  bland  air  stirreth  round, 
And  yet  the  child  is  lingering  by, 

Half-kneeling  on  the  ground  : 

For  broader  grew  that  crimson  streak, 

Back  folds  the  leaf  of  green, 
And  he  in  wonder,  still  and  meek, 

Watch'd  all  its  opening  sheen. 

"'Tis  done,  'tis  done  !"  at  length  he  cried, 

With  glad  amazement  wild ; 
The  Rose,  in  new-created  pride, 

Had  opened  for  the  child. 

O,  had  we  hearts  like  thine,  sweet  boy, 

To  watch  creative  power, 
We,  too,  should  thrill  with  kindred  joy 

At  every  opening  flower. 

E.  OAKES  SMITH. 


THE   ROSE   GIRL'S   SONG, 

Come,  buy  my  sweet  Roses,  ye  fair  ladies  all, 

And  bless  my  poor  mother  and  I ; 
Nor  fresher,  nor  sweeter,  boasts  basket  or  stall : 

Come,  buy  my  sweet  Roses,  come,  buy. 

Here  are  scarlet,  and  damask,  and  delicate  white, 
And  some  with  a  blush's  sweet  dye ; 

With  beautiful  moss'd  ones,  the  lover's  delight  : 
Come,  buy  my  fine  Roses,  come,  buy. 


70  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

These  buds  for  your  bosoms,  these  blown  for  your  rooms. 

Were  nursed  in  warm  smiles  of  July ; 
These  posies  are  all  of  the  loveliest  blooms  : 

Come  buy  my  nice  Roses,  come,  buy. 

All  fresh  as  the  morning,  and  fragrant  as  May, 

And  bright  as  a  young  lover's  eye, 
We  gather'd  them  all  at  the  dawning  of  day : 

Come,  buy  my  fresh  Roses,  come  buy. 


THE   ROSE-BUD. 

When  nature  tries  her  finest  touch, 

Weaving  her  vernal  wreath, 
Mark  ye  how  close  she  veils  her  round, 
Not  to  be  traced  by  sight  or  sound, 
Nor  soil'd  by  ruder  breath  ? 

Whoever  saw  the  earliest  Rose 
First  open  her  sweet  breast  ? 
Or,  when  the  summer  sun  goes  down, 
The  first,  soft  star  in  evening's  crown 
Light  up  her  gleaming  crest  ? 

Fondly  we  seek  the  dawning  bloom 

On  features  wan  and  fair  ; 
The  gazing  eye  no  change  can  trace. 
But  look  away  a  little  space, 

Then  turn,  and  lo  !  'tis  there. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  71 

But  there's  a  sweeter  flower  than  e'er 

Blush'd  on  the  rosy  spray — 
A  brighter  star,  a  richer  bloom, 
Than  e'er  did  western  heaven  illume 

At  close  of  summer  day. 

'T  is  love,  the  last  best  gift  of  heaven — 

Love  gentle,  holy,  pure  ; 
But  tenderer  than  a  dove's  soft  eye : 
The  searching  sun,  the  open  sky, 

She  never  could  endure. 

Even  human  love  will  shrink  from  sight 

Here  in  the  coarse,  rude  earth : 
How  then  should  rash,  intruding  glance 
Break  in  upon  her  sacred  trance, 

Who  boasts  a  heavenly  birth  ! 

So  still  and  secret  is  her  growth, 

Ever  the  truest  heart, 
Where  deepest  strikes  her  kindly  root 
For  hope  or  joy,  for  flower  or  fruit, 

Least  known  its  happy  part. 

God  only  and  good  angels  look 

Behind  the  blissful  screen — 
As  when,  triumphant  o'er  his  woes, 
The  Son  of  God  by  moonlight  rose, 

By  all  but  heaven  unseen  : 

As  when  the  Holy  Maid  beheld 

Her  risen  Son  and  Lord : 
Thought  has  not  colors  half  so  fail- 
That  she  to  paint  that  hour  may  dare, 

In  silence  best  adored. 


72  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

The  gracious  dove,  that  brought  from  heaven 

The  earnest  of  our  bliss, 
Of  many  a  chosen  witness'  telling, 
On  many  a  happy  vision  dwelling, 

Sings  not  a  note  of  this. 

So,  truest  image  of  the  Christ, 

Old  Israel's  long-lost  son, 
What  time,  with  sweet  forgiving  cheer, 
He  called  his  conscious  brethren  near, 

Would  weep  with  them  alone. 

He  could  not  trust  his  melting  soul 

But  in  his  Maker's  sight ; 
Then  why  should  gentle  hearts  and  true 
Bare  to  the  rude  world's  withering  view 

Their  treasures  of  delight? 

No — let  the  dainty  Rose  awhile 

Her  bashful  fragrance  hide — 
Rend  not  her  silken  veil  too  soon, 
But  leave  her,  in  her  own  soft  noon, 

To  flourish  and  abide. 


THE   SUMMER   ROSE, 

O,  nowhere  blooms  so  bright  the  Summer  Rose, 
As  where  youth  cropt  it  from  the  valley's  breast ; 

O,  nowhere  are  the  downs  so  soft  as  those 
That  pillow'd  infancy's  unbroken  rest. 

PROM  THE  DANISH  OF  AFZELIU.S. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  73 


TO   THE   SWEET-BRIER. 

Our  sweet  autumnal  western-scented  wind 
Robs  of  its  odors  none  so  sweet  a  flower, 
In  all  the  blooming  waste  it  left  behind, 
As  that  the  sweet-brier  yields  it ;  and  the  shower 
Wets  not  a  rose  that  buds  in  beauty's  bower 
One  half  so  lovely ;  yet  it  grows  along 
The  poor  girl's  pathway — by  the  poor  man's  door. 
Such  are  the  simple  folks  it  dwells  among ; 
And  humble  as  the  bud,  so  humble  be  the  song. 

•  I  love  it,  for  it  takes  its  untouch'd  stand 
Not  in  the  vase  that  sculptors  decorate ; 
Its  sweetness  all  is  of  my  native  land ; 
And  e'en  its  fragrant  leaf  has  not  its  mate 
Among  the  perfumes  which  the  rich  and  great 
Bring  from  the  odors  of  the  spicy  East. 
You  love  your  flowers. and  plants,  and  will  you  hate 
The  little  four-leaved  Rose  that  I  love  best, 
That  freshest  will  awake,  and  sweetest  go  to  rest  ? 

J.  G.  C.  BRAINARD. 


THE   TULIP   AND   EGLANTINE, 

The  Tulip  called  to  the  Eglantine  ; 

"  Good  neighbor,  I  hope  you  see 
How  the  throngs  that  visit  the  garden  come 

To  pay  their  respects  to  me. 

"  The  florist  admires  my  elegant  robe, 

And  praises  its  rainbow  ray, 
Till  it  seems  as  if,  through  his  raptured  eyes 

He  was  gazing  his  soul  away." 

7 


74  POETRY    OP    THE    ROSE. 

"  It  may  be  so,"  said  the  Eglantine  ; 

"  In  a  humble  nook  I  dwell, 
And  what  is  passing  among  the  great 

I  cannot  know  so  well. 

But  they  speak  of  me  as  the  flower  of  love, 
And  that  low-whispered  name 

Is  dearer  to  me,  and  my  infant  buds, 
Than  the  loudest  breath  of  fame." 


THE  ROSE. 

How  beautiful  the  Rose,  as  it  unfolds  its  vernal  dyes 
And  breathes  a  holy  fragrance  round,  like  incense  from  the  skies  ; 
Casts  to  the  breeze  the  sparkling  dews  that  glitter  on  its  stem, 
And  wreaths  around  its  blushing  brows  a  crystal  diadem. 

But  while  the  bee,  with  honey'd  lip,  salutes  the  vernal  flower 
That 's  daily  brightened  by  the  sun  and  cherished  by  the  shower, 
The  blast  of  desolation  comes  and  sweeps  it  to  the  dust, 
When  all  its  beauties  perish,  as  all  mortal  beauties  must. 

Behold  that  gentle  maiden,  in  the  fair,  fresh  morn  of  youth  ! 
Upon  her  cheek  the  holy  glow  of  innocence  and  truth ; 
The  sudden  shock  of  sorrow  strikes  —the  blush  no  longer  glows, 
But  verifies  the  fate  of  her  fragile  type,  the  Rose. 

Destruction  comes  alike  to  all,  the  meanest  and  the  best, 
?T  is  oft  the  harbinger  of  wo,  as  suffering  is  to  rest ; 
Here  beauty  is  the  sure  but  smiling  herald  of  decay, 
As  oftentimes  the  darkest  night  succeeds  the  brightest  day. 

ROBERT  GAUNTER. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  75 


THE   QUEEN   OF   FLOWERS, 

Most  glorious  Rose  ! 

You  are  the  queenly  belle.     On  you  all  eyes 
Admiring  turn.     Doubtless  you  might  indite 
Romances  from  your  own  sweet  history. 
They  're  all  the  fashion  now,  and  crowd  the  page 
Of  many  a  periodical.     Wilt  tell 
None  of  your  heart  adventures  ?     Never  mind  ! 
All  can  detect  the  Zephyr's  stolen  kiss 
In  your  deep  blush ;  so,  where's  the  use  to  seal 
Your  lips  so  cunningly,  when  all  the  world 
Call  you  the  flower  of  love  ? 

And  now  good-bye ; 
A  pleasant  gossip  have  I  had  with  you, 
Ohlig-ingf  visitants,  but.  must,  away 
To  graver  toils.     Still  keep  your  incense  fresh 
And  free  to  rise  to  Him  who  tints  your  brows, 
Bidding  the  brown  mould  and  unsightly  stem 
Put  forth  such  blaze  of  beauty  as  translates 
To  dullest  hearts  His  dialect  of  love. 

FROM  "  GOSSIP  WITH  A  BOUQUET." 


A   THOUGHT   OF  THE    ROSE. 

How  much  of  memory  dwells  amid  thy  bloom. 

Rose  !  ever  wearing  beauty  for  thy  dower  ! 
The  bridal  day — the  festival — the  tomb, — 

Thou  hast  thy  part  in  each,  thou  stateliest  flower ; 

Therefore  with  thy  soft  breath  come  floating  by 
A  thousand  images  of  love  and  grief — 

Dreams,  filled  with  tokens  of  mortality, 

Deep  thoughts  of  all  things  beautiful  and  brief. 


76  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Not  such  thy  spells  o'er  those  that  -hailed  thee  first, 
In  the  clear  light  of  Eden's  golden  day  ! 

There  thy  rich  leaves  to  crimson  glory  burst, 
Link'd  with  no  dim  remembrance  of  decay. 

Rose  !  for  the  banquet  gathered  and  the  bier  ! 

Rose  !  colored  now  by  human  hope  or  pain ; 
Surely  where  death  is  not — nor  change,  nor  fear, 

Yet  may  we  meet  thee,  'Joy's  own  flower,  again. 

FELICIA  HEMANS. 


A   SONG   OF   THE   ROSE, 

Rose  !  what  dost  thou  here  ? 

Bridal,  royal  Rose  ! 
How,  'midst  grief  and  fear, 

Canst  ihou  thus  disolusc 

That  fervid  hue  of  love  which  to  thy  heart-leaf  glows  ? 

Rose  !  too  much  array'd 
For  triumphal  hours, 
Look'st  thou  through  the  shade 

Of  these  mortal  bowers, 
Not  to  disturb  my  soul,  thou  crown'd  one  of  all  flowers  ! 

As  an  eagle  soaring 

Through  a  sunny  sky, 
As  a  clarion  pouring 

Notes  of  victory, 
So  dost  thou  kindle  thoughts  for  earthly  life  too  high — 

Thoughts  of  rapture  flushing 

Youthful  poet's  cheek, 
Thoughts  of  glory  rushing 

Forth  in  song  to  break, 
But  finding  the  spring-tide  of  rapid  song  too  weak. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  77 

Yet,  oh,  festal  Rose  ! 

I  have  seen  thee  lying 
In  thy  bright  repose, 

Pillow'd  with  the  dying  ; 
Thy  crimson  by  the  life's  quick  blood  was  flying. 

Summer,  hope,  and  love 

O'er  that  bed  of  pain, 
Meet  in  thee,  yet  wove 

Too,  too  frail  a  chain 
In  its  embracing  links  the  lovely  to  detain. 

Smilest  thou,  gorgeous  flower  ? 

Oh !  within  the  spells 
Of  thy  beauty's  power 

Something  dimly  dwells, 
At  variance  with  a  world  of  sorrows  and  farewells. 

All  the  soul  forth  flowing 

In  that  rich  perfume, 
All  the  proud  life  glowing 

In  that  radiant  bloom, 

Have  they  no  place  but  here,  beneath  th'  o'ershadowing 
tomb? 

Crown'st  thou  but  the  daughters 

Of  our  tearful  race  ? 
Heaven's  own  purest  waters 

Well  might  bear  the  trace 
Of  thy  consummate  form,  melting  to  softer  grace. 

Will  that  clime  enfold  thee 

With  immortal  air  ? 
Shall  we  not  behold  thee 

Bright  and  deathless  there, 
In  spirit-lustre  clothed,  transcendently  more  fair  ? 
7* 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


Yes  !  my  fancy  sees  thee 

In  that  light  disclose, 
And  its  dream  thus  frees  thee 

From  the  midst  of  woes. 

Darkening  thine  earthly  bowers,  O  bridal,  royal  Rose. 

FELICIA  HEMANS. 


THE   ROSE. 

Of  all  flowers, 

Methinks  a  Rose  is  best 

It  is  the  very  emblem  of  a  maid  ; 
For  when  the  west  wind  courts  her  gently, 
How  modestly  she  blows  and  paints  the  sun 
With  her  chaste  blushes  !    When  the  north  comes 

near  her, 

Rude  and  impatient,  then,  like  chastity, 
She  locks  her  beauties  in  her  bud  again, 

And  leaves  him  to  base  briers. 

BEAUMONT  AND  FLETCHER. 


THE   MOSS   ROSE 

O,  I  love  the  sweet-blooming,  the  pretty  moss-rose, 
7T  is  the  type  of  true  pleasure  and  perfected  joy ; 
O,  I  envy  each  insect  that  dares  to  repose 
'Midst  its  leaves,  or  among  its  soft  beauties  to  toy. 

I  love  the  sweet  lily,  so  pure  and  so  pale, 
With  a  bosom  as  fair  as  the  new  fallen  snows  ; 
Her  luxuriant  odors  she  spreads  through  the  vale, 
Yet  e'en  she  must  yield  to  my  pretty  moss-rose. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  79 


O,  I  love  the  gay  heart's-ease  and  violet  blue. 

The  sun-flower  and  blue-bell,  each  flowret  that  blows ; 

The  fir  tree,  the  pine  tree,  acacia,  and  yew, 

Yet  e'en  these  must  yield  to  my  pretty  moss-rose. 

Yes,  I  love  iny  moss-rose,  for  it  ne'er  had  a  thorn, 
'T  is  the  type  of  life's  pleasures,  unmixed  with  its  woes  ; 
'T  is  more  gay  and  more  bright  than  the  opening  morn — 
Yes,  all  things  must  yield  to  my  pretty  moss-rose. 

ANON. 


THE   NK  SS-ROSE. 

Mossy  rose  on  most    stone, 
Flowering  'mid  the  ITIK  '  lone, 
I  have  learnt,  beholding  ti*  •», 
Youth  and  Age  may  well  agree. 

Baby  germ  of  freshest  hue, 
Out  of  ruin  issuing  new  ; 
Moss  a  long  laborious  growth, 
And  one  stalk  supporting  both  : 

Thus  may  still,  while  fades  the  past. 
Life  come  forth  again  as  fast ; 
Happy  if  the  relics  sere 
Deck  a  cradle,  not  a  bier. 

Tear  the  garb,  the  spirit  flies, 
And  the  heart,  unshelter'd,  dies  ; 
Kill  within  the  nursling  flower, 
Scarce  the  green  survives  an  hour. 


80  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Ever  thus  together  live, 
And  to  man  a  lesson  give, 
Moss,  the  work  of  vanished  years, 
Rose,  that  but  to-day  appears. 

Moss,  that  covers  dateless  tombs ; 
Bud,  with  early  sweet  that  blooms ; 
Childhood  thus,  in  happy  rest, 
Lies  on  ancient  Wisdom's  breast. 

Moss  and  Rose,  and  Age  and  Youth, 
Flush  and  Verdure,  Hope  and  Truth, 
Yours  be  peace  that  knows  not  strife, 
One  the  root  and  one  the  life. 

JOHN  STERLING. 


LEGEND   OF   THE   ROSE. 

-  Ah,  lady  !  list  my  tale, 
I  was  the  summer's  fairest  pride, 
The  nightingale's  betrothed  bride  ; 
In  Shiraz's  bowers  I  sprung  to  birth 
When  Love  first  lighted  on  the  earth  ; 
And  then  my  pure,  inodorous  bosom, 

Blooming  on  its  thorny  tree, 
Was  snowy  as  its  mother's  blossom, 

Rising  from  the  emerald  sea. 
Young  Love  rambling  through  the  wood, 
Found  me  in  my  solitude, 
Bright  with  dew  and  freshly  blown, 
And  trembling  to  the  zephyr's  sighs. 
But  as  he  stood,  to  gaze  upon 
The  living  gem  with  raptured  eyes, 
It  chanced  a  bee  was  busy  there, 
Searching  for  its  fragrant  fare  ; 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  SI 


And  Cupid  stooping1,  too,  to  sip, 

The  angry  insect  stung  his  lip — 

And  gushing  from  the  ambrosial  cell. 

One  bright  drop  on  my  bosom  fell ! 

Weeping,  to  his  mother  he 

Told  the  tale  of  treachery  ; 

And  she,  her  vengeful  boy  to  please, 

Strung  his  bow  with  captive  bees ; 

But  placed  upon  my  slender  stem 

The  poisoned  sting  she  plucked  from  them : 

And  none  since  that  eventful  morn 

Have  found  the  flower  without  a  thorn. 


FLOWER  FANTASIES. 

Oh,  there  is  music  to  the  spirit's  ear 

In  every  sigh 
Heaved  by  the  Rose's  bosom  to  the  air 

That  winnows  by ; 
And  there  is  poetry  in  every  leaf, 
Whose  blush  speaks  pleasure,  or  whose  tears  tell 

There  is  romance  in  every  stem  that  bends 

In  motion  soft 
Beneath  the  wind  that  rustles  in  the  tall 

Tree-tops  aloft, 

And  'mid  their  branches  whistlingly  doth  blow, 
While  it  but  fans  the  flowers  that  sleep  below. 

The  fragrance  is  the  spirit  of  the  flower, 

E'en  as  the  soul 
Is  our  ethereal  portion.     We  can  ne'er 

Hold  or  control 

One  more  than  other.     Passing  sweet  must  be 
The  visions,  gentle  things,  that  visit  ye  ! 


82  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

How  happily  ye  live  in  the  pure  light 

Of  loveliness  ! 
Do  ye  not  feel  how  deeply — wondrously— 

Ye  cheer  and  bless 

Our  checker'd  sojourn  on  this  weary  earth, 
Whose  wildest,  dreariest  spots  to  Flowers  have 
given  birth  ? 

Do  not  ye  joy  to  know  the  pure  delight 
With  which  we  gaze 

Upon  your  glorious  forms  ?    Are  ye  not  glad, 
E'en  in  the  praise 

Which  our  enraptured  wonder  ever  tells, 

While  poring  o'er  the  wealth  that  in  ye  dwells  : 

That  wealth  of  thought,  of  beauty,  and  of  love, 
Which  may  be  found 

In  each  small  common  herb  that  springs  from  out 
The  teeming  ground  ? 

Do  not  ye  feel  that  ye  do  deeply  bless 

Our  harsher  souls  by  your  dear  loveliness  ? 

Oh,  if  'tis  given  unto  ye  to  know 

The  thrilling  power 

Of  memories  and  thoughts  that  can  be  read 
E'en  in  a  flower, 

How  ye  must  all  rejoice  beneath  each  look 

Which  reads  your  beauty,  like  an  open  book ! 

We  love  its  silent  language  :  strong,  though  still, 

Is  that  unheard 
But  all-pervading  harmony :  it  breathes 

No  utter'd  word, 

But  floats  around  us,  as,  in  happy  dream, 
We  feel  the  soft  sigh  of  a  waveless  stream. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  83 

So,  love  of  nature's  harmony  can  bless 

And  gladden  ever 
The  heart  and  fancy,  as  pellucid  wave 

Of  fount  or  river 

Flings  back  more  bright  what  bright  doth  on  it  fall, 
And  its  own  radiance  lends  where  else  were  none  at  all. 

LOUISA  ANN  TWAMLEY. 


THE   ROSES. 

I  saw  them  once  blowing, 

While  morning  was  glowing  ; 
But  now  are  their  withered  leaves  strew'd  o'er  the  ground. 

For  tempests  to  play  on, 

For  cold  worms  to  prey  on, 
The  shame  of  the  garden  that  triumphs  around. 

» 

Their  buds  which  then  flourished, 

With  dew-drops  were  nourish'd, 
Which  turn'd  into  pearls  as  they  fell  from  on  high ; 

Their  hues  are  all  banish'd, 

Their  fragrance  all  vanish'd, 
Ere  evening  a  shadow  has  cast  from  the  sky. 

I  saw,  too,  whole  races 

Of  glories  and  graces 
Thus  open  and  blossom,  but  quickly  decay ; 

And  smiling  and  gladness, 

In  sorrow  and  sadness, 
Ere  life  reach'd  its  twilight,  fade  dimly  away. 


84  POETRY   OP    THE    ROSE. 


Joy's  light-hearted  dances, 

And  melody's  glances, 
Are  rays  of  a  moment — are  dying  when  born 

And  pleasure's  best  dower 

Is  nought  but  a  flower, 
A  vanishing  dew-drop — a  gem  of  the  morn. 

The  bright  eye  is  clouded, 

Its  brilliancy  shrouded, 
Our  strength  disappears,  we  are  helpless  and  lone ; 

No  reason  avails  us, 

And  intellect  fails  us  ; 
Life's  spirit  is  wasted,  and  darkness  comes  on. 

BOWRINO. 


THE   ROSE. 

Loved  daughter  of  the  laughing  May 
The  light  of  all  that's  pure  is  thine ; 
The  rosy  beams  that  wake  the  day, 
Upon  thy  cheeks  of  velvet  shine. 
Thy  beauty  paints  the  evening  skies 
It  mingles  with  the  rainbow's  dyes : 
In  love's  own  light  its  blushes  speak 
On  ruby  lip  and  vermeil  cheek. 

No  wooing  zephyrs  ever  strayed 

To  whisper  love  or  steal  a  kiss, 
Or  dancing  sunbeam  ever  played 

Upon  a  sweeter  flower  than  this. 
The  night  fays  o'er  thy  bosom  strew 
The  sparklet  of  the  nectar  dew ; 
And  on  their  shrine  the  pearls  have  slept 
Like  tears  the  dying  stars  have  wept. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  85 

Many  a  pouting  lip  has  flush'd 

In  rival  beauty  by  thy  side  ; 
Many  a  maiden  cheek  has  blush'd 

In  vain  to  match  thy  crimson  pride. 
The  pink  may  burst  its  varied  hue, 
The  violet  its  azure  blue, 
The  lily  claim  the  snow  its  own ;  • 

But  still  thou  reign'stj.undimmed,  alone. 

Thou  hast  the  tale  of  love  express'd, 
In  words  the  faltering  tongue  forebore  ; 

And  answering  from  the  heart  confess'd, 
What  eye  and  cheek  had  told  before. 

Young  hearts  have  whisper'd  to  thy  ears 

The  secret  of  their  hopes  and  fears ; 

When,  nestled  in  a  gentle  breast, 

Thou  had'st  thy  tender  folds  carest. 

Ah  !  anxious  hope  long  watch  has  kept, 

Despairingly  beneath  thy  cover; 
While  fond  heart  sighed  and  bright  eye  wept 

The  absence  of  a  faithless  lover. 
And  many  a  vow  of  love  is  made, 
And  fond  heart  pledged  beneath  thy  shade ; 
While  friendly  moonbeams  light  thy  bower, 
And  glides  too  soon  the  stolen  hour. 

I  love  thee,  emblem  of  my  youth  ! 

Thou  bring'st  to  mind  fond  memories — 
When  fancy  wore  the  garb  of  truth, 

And  love  made  earth  a  paradise. 
But  as  those  dreamy  hours  have  fled 
Before  the  light  stern  truth  has  shed 
So  will  thy  fleeting  beauty  fade, 
And  join  the  wreck  that  time  has  made. 

D.  EVERETT  ROSE. 


86  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


CUPID  AND   THE   DIAL, 

One  day,  young  frolic  Cupid  tried 
To  scatter  roses  o'er  the  hours, 

And  on  the  dial's  face  to  hide 

The  course  of  time  with  many  flowers. 

By  chance,  his  rosy  wreaths  had  wound 
Upon  the  hands,  and  forced  them  on ; 

And  when  he  look'd  again,  he  found 

The  hours  had  pass'd,  the  time  was  done. 

"  Alas  !"  said  Love,  and  dropp'd  his  flowers, 
"  I've  lost  my  time  in  idle  play ; 

The  sweeter  I  would  make  the  hours, 
The  quicker  they  are  pass'd  away." 


ANACREON   TO   THE   ROSE. 

While  we  invoke  the  wreathed  spring, 
Resplendent  Rose  !  to  thee  we'll  sing, 
Resplendent  Rose  !  the  flower  of  flowers, 
Whose  breath  perfumes  Olympus'  bowers ; 
Whose  virgin  blush,  of  chasten'd  dye, 
Enchants  so  much  our  mortal  eye : 
Oft  has  the  poet's  magic  tongue 
The  Rose's  fair  luxuriance  sung  ; 
And  long  the  Muses,  heavenly  maids, 
Have  rear'd  it  in  their  tuneful  shades. 
When,  at  the  early  glance  of  morn, 
It  sleeps  upon  the  glittering  thorn, 
'Tis  sweet  to  dare  the  tangled  fence, 
To  cull  the  timid  floweret  thence, 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  87 

And  wipe,  with  tender  hand,  away 

The  tear  that  on  its  blushes  lay  ! 

'Tis  sweet  to  hold  the  infant  stems. 

Yet  dropping  with  Aurora's  gems, 

And  fresh  inhale  the  spicy  sighs 

That  from  the  weeping  buds  arise. 

When  revel  reigns,  when  mirth  is  high, 

And  Bacchus  beams  in  every  eye, 

Our  rosy  fillets  scent  exhale, 

And  fill  with  balm  the  fainting  gale  ! 

Oh,  there  is  naught  in  nature  bright, 

Where  Roses  do  not  shed  their  light ! 

Where  morning  paints  the  orient  skies, 

Her  fingers  burn  with  roseate  dyes ! 

And  when,  at  length,  with  pale  decline, 

Its  florid  beauties  fade  and  pine, 

Sweet,  as  in  youth,  its  balmy  breath 

Diffuses  odors  e'en  in  death  ! 

Oh,  whence  could  such  a  plant  have  sprung  ? 

Attend — for  thus  the  tale  is  sung  : — 

When  humid  from  the  silvery  stream, 

Effusing  beauty's  warmest  beam, 

Venus  appeared  in  flushing  hues, 

Mellowed  by  Ocean's  briny  dews ; 

When,  in  the  starry  courts  above, 

The  pregnant  brain  of  mighty  Jove 

Disclosed  the  nymph  of  azure  glance  ! 

The  nymph  who  shakes  the  martial  lance ! 

Then,  then,  in  strange,  eventful  hour, 

The  earth  produced  an  infant  flower, 

Which  sprung  with  blushing  tinctures  dress'd, 

And  wanton'd  o'er  its  parent  breast. 

The  gods  beheld  this  brilliant  birth, 

And  hail'd  the  Rose,  the  born  of  earth  ! 

With  nectar  drops,  a  ruby  tide, 

The  sweetly  orient  buds  they  dyed, 


88  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

And  bade  them  bloom,  the  flowers  divine 
Of  him  who  sheds  the  teeming  vine ; 
And  bade  them  on  the  spangled  thorn 
Expand  their  bosoms  to  the  morn. 


THE   QUEEN   OF   THE   GARDEN. 

If  Jove  would  give  the  leafy  bowers 
A  queen  for  all  their  world  of  flowers, 
The  Rose  would  be  the  choice  of  Jove, 
And  reign  the  queen  of  every  grove. 
Sweetest  child  of  weeping  morning, 
Gem,  the  vest  of  earth  adorning, 
Eye  of  flowerets,  glow  of  lawns, 
Bud  of  beauty,  nursed  by  dawns  ; 
Soft  the  soul  of  love  it  breathes — 
Cypria's  brow  with  magic  wreathes, 
And  to  the  zephyr's  warm  caresses 
Diffuses  all  its  verdant  tresses, 
Till,  glowing  with  the  wanton's  play, 
It  blushes  a  diviner  ray  ! 

ANACREON. 

THE  THORNS   OF   THE   ROSE, 

Where  grew  the  Rose,  Eve  often  sped 

To  gather  fresh  supplies, 
And  daily  from  their  mossy  bed 

The  new-blown  beauties  rise. 

One  morn — a  sad  and  luckless  morn — 

She  hither  bent  her  way ; 
But  ah  !  less  heedful  of  return, 

Her  wishes  went  astray. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  89 

Her  eye  the  tree  of  knowledge  caught, 

With  golden  fruitage  crown'd ; 
But  when  a  free  access  she  sought, 

No  free  access  she  found. 

For  shrub  and  flower  there  thickly  sprung, 

To  check  her  wayward  foot, 
And  in  deep  file  their  branches  flung 

Around  the  sacred  fruit. 

Yet,  urged  by  Satan's  false  pretence, 

Prime  source  of  all  our  woes — - 
She  dared  to  break  the  blooming  fence, 

And  trampled  on  the  Rose. 

Unmov'd,  she  stretch'd  the  impious  hand, 

The  alluring  sweets  to  prove, 
Regardless  of  her  LORD'S  command, 

Regardless  of  His  love. 

The  injured  flower  beheld  the  theft, 

And,  wounded,  hung  its  head ; 
The  native  white  its  petals  left, 

Which  blushing,  chang'd  to  red. 

Its  foliage  wept  a  dewy  shower, 

And  mourn'd  the  strange  event ; 
Eve  turn'd  and  saw  the  impassion'd  flower, 

And  marvel'd  what  it  meant. 

Awhile  she  stood  and  gazed  thereon, 

Till,  trembling,  she  withdrew, 
Unconscious  she  had  trampled  oh 

The  fairest  flower  that  grew. 

Ere  this  event  of  sin  and  shame, 
No  prickly  thorns  were  found ; 
But  now  they  burst  from  every  stem, 

And  with  the  rose  abound. 

J.  WILLIAMS. 


90  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

TO   THE   ROSE. 

Rose  of  my  heart !  I've  raised  for  thee  a  bower — 

For  thee  have  bent  the  pliant  osier  round, 

For  thee  have  carpeted  with  earth  the  ground, 
And  trained  a  canopy  to  shield  thy  flower, 
So  that  the  warmest  sun  can  have  no  power 

To  dry  the  dew  from  off  thy  leaf,  and  pale 

Thy  living  carmine,  but  a  woven  ve^l 
Of  full-green  vines  shall  guard  from  heat  and  showei. 
Rose  of  my  heart !  here,  in  this  dim  alcove, 

No  worm  shall  nestle,  and  no  wandering  bee 

Shall  suck  thy  sweets — no  blights  shall  wither  thee ; 
But  thou  shalt  show  the  freshest  hue  of  love. 
Like  the  red  stream  that  from  Adonis  flow'd, 

And  made  the  snow  carnation,  thou  shalt  blush, 
And  fays  shall  wander  from  their  bright  abode 

To  flit  enchanted  round  thy  loaded  bush. 
Bowed  with  thy  fragrant  burden,  thou  shalt  bend 

Thy  slender  twigs  and  thorny  branches  low ; 
Vermillion  and  the  purest  foam  shall  blend  ; 

These  shall  be  pale,  and  those  in  youth's  first  glow 
Their  tints  shall  form  one  sweetest  harmony, 
'   And  on  some  leaves  the  damask  shall  prevail, 
Whose  colors  melt  like  the  soft  symphony 

Of  flutes  and  voices  in  the  distant  dale. 
The  bosom  of  that  flower  shall  be  as  white 

As  hearts  that  love,  and  love  alone,  are  pure  ; 
Its  tip  shall  blush  as  beautiful  and  bright 
As  are  the  gayest  streaks  of  dawning  light, 

Or  rubies  set  within  a  brimming  ewer. 
Rose  of  my  heart !  there  shalt  thou  ever  bloom, 

Safe  in  the  shelter  of  my  perfect  love  ; 
And,  when  they  lay  thee  in  the  dark,  cold  tomb, 

I'll  find  thee  out  a  better  bower  above. 

PERCIVAL. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  91 


TO   A   WITHERED   ROSE, 

Pale  flower — pale,  fragile,  faded  flower  ; 

What  tender  recollections  swell, 
What  thoughts  of  deep  and  thrilling  power 

Are  kindled  in  thy  mystic  spell ! 

A  charm  is  in  thy  faint  perfume, 

To  call  up  visions  of  the  past, 
Which,  through  my  mind's  o'ershadowing  gloom, 

"  Rush  like  the  rare  stars,  dim  and  fast." 

And  loveliest  shines  that  evening  hour, 
More  dear  by  time  and  sorrow  made, 

When  thou  wert  cull'd  ('love's  token  flower  !') 
And  on  my  throbbing  bosom  laid. 

On  eve's  pale  brow  one  star  burned  bright, 
Like  heavenward  hope,  whose  soothing  dream 

Is  veiled  from  pleasure's  dazzled  sight, 
To  shine  on  sorrow's  diadem. 

Bright  as  the  tears  thy  beauty  wept, 

The  dewdrops  on  thy  petals  lay, 
Till  evening's  silver  winds  had  swept 

Thy  cheek,  and  kissed  them  all  away. 

WHITMAN. 


TO   THE   ROSE, 

Dear  flower  of  heaven  and  love  !  thou  glorious  thing 
That  lookest  out  the  garden  nooks  among  ; 
Rose,  that  art  ever  fair  and  ever  young  ; 
Was  it  some  angel  or  invisible  wing 
Hover'd  around  thy  fragrant  sleep,  to  fling 


92  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

His  glowing  mantle  of  warm  sunset  hues 
O'er  thy  unfolding  petals,  wet  with  dews 
Such  as  the  flower-fays  to  Titania  bring? 

0  flower  of  thousand  memories  and  dreams, 
That  take  the  heart  with  faintness,  while  we  gaze 
On  the  rich  depths  of  thy  inwoven  maze ; 

From  the  green  banks  of  Eden's  blessed  streams 

1  dream'd  thee  brought,  of  brighter  days  to  tell, 
Long  pass'd,  but  promised  yet  with  us  to  dwell. 

C.  P.  CRANCH. 


THE   BRIDAL   FLOWER. 

The  married  are  compared  by  the  Italian  poet  to  the  young  Rose,  which  the 
lover  places  in  the  bosom  of  his  betrothed,  first  stripped  of  thorns. 

Thou  virgin  Rose  !  whose  opening  leaves,  so  fair, 
The  dawn  has  nourish'd  with  her  balmy  dews ; 

While  softest  whispers  of  the  morning  air 
Call'd  forth  the  blushes  of  thy  vermeil  hues. 

That  cautious  hand  which  cropt  thy  youthful  pride, 
Transplants  thy  honors,  where  from  hurt  secure, 

Stript  of  each  thorn  offensive  to  thy  side, 
Thy  nobler  part  alone  shall  bloom  mature. 

Thus  thou,  a  flower,  exempt  from  change  of  skies, 
By  storms  and  torrents  unassail'd  shalt  rise, 

And  scorn  the  winter  colds  and  summer  heats ; 
A  guard  more  faithful  then  thy  growth  shall  tend, 
By  whom  thou  mayest  in  tranquil  union  blend 

Eternal  beauties  with  eternal  sweets. 

FROM  METASTASIO. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  93 


THE  VIRGIN   ROSE. 

Ah  !  see,  deep-blushing  in  her  green  recess, 
The  bashful  virgin  Rose,  that,  half  revealing, 
And  half  within  herself  herself  concealing, 
Is  lovelier  for  her  hidden  loveliness. 
Lo  !  soon  her  glorious  beauty  she  discovers  ; 
Soon  droops,  and  sheds  her  leaves  of  faded  hue : 
Can  this  be  she — the  flower  erewhile  that  drew 
The  hearts  of  thousand  maids — of  thousand  longing 
lovers  ? 

So  fleeteth  in  the  fleeting  of  a  day 
Of  mortal  life,  the  green  leaf  and  the  flower, 
And  not,  though  spring  return  to  every  bower, 
Buds  forth  again  soft  leaf  or  blossom  gay. 
Gather  the  Rose  !  beneath  the  beauteous  morning 
Of  this  bright  day  that  soon  will  over-cast ; 
Oh,  gather  the  sweet  Rose,  that  yet  doth  last ! 

FROM  TASSO. 


THE   LITTLE   RED   ROSE. 

A  boy  caught  sight  of  a  rose  in  a  bower — 
A  little  rose,  slily  hiding 

Among  the  boughs  ;  Oh,  the  rose  was  bright 

And  young,  and  it  glimmer'd  like  morning  light; 
The  urchin  sought  it  with  haste  ;  'twas  a  flower 

A  child  indeed  might  take  pride  in— 
A  little  rose,  little  rose,  little  red  rose, 

Among  the  bushes  hiding. 


94  POETRY   OP    THE    ROSE. 

The  wild  boy  shouted — "  I'll  pluck  thee,  rose, 

Little  rose  vainly  hiding 

Among  the  boughs  ;"  but  the  little  rose  spoke — 
"  I'll  prick  thee,  and  that  will  prove  no  joke ; 
Unhurt,  O  then  will  I  mock  thy  woes, 

Whilst  thou  thy  folly  art  chiding." 
Little  rose,  little  rose,  little  red  rose, 

Among  the  bushes  hiding  ! 

But  the  rude  boy  laid  his  hands  on  the  flower, 

The  little  rose  vainly  hiding 
Among  the  boughs  ;  Oh,  the  rose  was  caught ! 
But  it  turned  again,  and  pricked  and  fought, 
And  left  with  its  spoiler  a  smart  from  that  hour, 

A  pain  for  ever  abiding ; 
Little  rose,  little  rose,  little  red  rose, 

Among  the  bushes  hiding  ! 

FROM  GOETHE. 


THE  VOICE   OF  THE   FLOWERS.  . 

Blossoms  that  lowly  bend, 
Shutting  your  leaves  from  evening's  chilly  dew, 
While  your  rich  odors  heavily  ascend, 

The  flitting  winds  to  woo  ! 

I  walk  at  silent  eve, 

When  scarce  a  breath  is  in  the  garden  bowers, 
And  many  a  vision  and  wild  fancy  weave, 

'Midst  ye,  ye  lovely  flowers  : 

Beneath  the  cool  green  boughs, 
And  perfumed  bells  of  the  fresh-blossom'd  lime, 
That  stoop  and  gently  touch  my  feverish  brow, 

Fresh  in  their  summer  prime  ; 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  95 

Or  in  the  mossy  dell, 

Where  the  pale  primrose  trembles  at  a  breath ; 
Or  where  the  lily,  by  the  silent  well, 

Beholds  her  form  beneath ; 

Or  where  the  rich  queen-rose 

Sits,  throned  and  blushing,  'midst  her  leaves  and  moss  ; 
Or  where  the  wind-flower,  pale  and  fragile,  blows  ; 

Or  violets  banks  emboss. 

MARY  ANNE  BROWNE. 


THE   LAST   ROSE   OF   SUMMER, 

'Tis  the  last  Rose  of  summer, 

Left  blooming  alone  ; 
All  her  lovely  companions 

Are  faded  and  gone  : 
No  flower  of  her  kindred, 

No  rose-bud  is  nigh, 
To  reflect  back  her  blushes 

And  give  sigh  for  sigh. 

I'll  not  leave  thee,  thou  lone  one, 

To  pine  on  the  stem ; 
Since  the  lovely  are  sleeping, 

Go  sleep  thou  with  them. 
Thus  kindly  I  scatter 

Thy  leaves  on  the  bed, 
Where  thy  mates  of  the  garden 

Lie  scentless  and  dead. 

So  soon  may  I  follow 

When  friendships  decay, 
And  from  love's  shining  circle 

The  gems  drop  away. 


9b  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

When  true  hearts  lie  wither'd 
And  fond  ones  are  flown, 

Oh,  who  would  inhabit 
This  cold  world  alone  ? 

T.  MOORE. 


WHITE   ROSES, 

They  were  gather'd  for  a  bridal ! 

I  knew  it  by  their  hue  : 
Fair  as  the  summer  moonlight 

Upon  the  sleeping  dew. 
From  their  fair  and  fairy  sisters 

They  were  borne,  without  a  sigh, 
For  one  remember'd  evening 

To  blossom  and  to  die. 

They  were  gather'd  for  a  bridal ! 

And  fasten'd  in  a  wreath  ; 
But  purer  were  the  roses 

Than  the  heart  that  lay  beneath  ; 
Yet  the  beaming  eye  was  lovely, 

And  the  coral  lip  was  fair, 
And  the  gazer  look'd  and  ask'd  not 

For  the  secret  hidden  there. 

They  were  gather'd  for  a  bridal ! 

Where  a  thousand  torches  glisten'd, 
When  the  holy  words  were  spoken, 

And  the  false  and  faithless  listen'd 
And  answered  to  the  vow 

Which  another  heart  had  taken  ; 
Yet  he  was  present  then— 

The  once  loved,  the  forsaken. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  97 

They  were  gather'd  for  a  bridal ! 

And  now,  now  they  are  dying, 
And  young  Love  at  the  altar 

Of  broken  faith  is  sighing. 
Their  summer  life  was  stainless, 

And  not  like  her's  who  wore  them ; 
They  are  faded,  and  the  farewell 

Of  beauty  lingers  o'er  them  ! 

SARAH  LOUISA  P.  SMITH. 


THE   DESOLATE   ONE. 

As  wandering,  I  found  on  my  ruinous  walk, 

By  the  dial-stone  aged  and  green, 
One  rose  of  the  wilderness  left  on  its  stalk. 

To  mark  where  a  garden  had  been  ; 
Like  a  brotherless  hermit,  the  last  of  its  race, 

All  wild  in  the  silence  of  nature,  it  drew 
From  each  wandering  sunbeam  a  lovely  embrace, 
For  the  nightweed  and  thorn  overshadowed  the  place 

Where  the  flower  of  my  forefathers  grew. 

Sweet  bud  of  the  wilderness  !  emblem  of  all 

That  survives  in  this  desolate  heart ! 
The  fabric  of  bliss  to  its  centre  may  fall, 

But  patience  shall  never  depart ; 
Though  the  wilds  of  enchantment,  all  vernal  and  bright. 

In  the  days  of  delusion  by  fancy  combined 
With  the  vanishing  phantoms  of  wo  and  delight, 
Abandon  my  soul  like  a  dream  of  the  night, 

And  leave  but  a  desert  behind. 

CAMPBELL. 
9 


98  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


ROSES. 

We  are  blushing  roses, 
Bending  with  our  fullness, 

'Midst  our  close-capp'd  sister  buds, 
Warming  the  green  coolness. 

Whatsoe'er  of  beauty 

Yearns  and  yet  reposes, 
Blush,  and  bosom,  and  sweet  breath, 

Took  a  shape  in  roses. 

Hold  one  of  us  lightly : 

See  from  what  a  slender 
Stalk  we  bower  in  heavy  blooms, 

And  roundness  rich  and  tender. 

Know  you  not  our  only 
Rival  flower — the  human  ? 

Loveliest  weight  on  lightest  foot — 
Joy-abundant  woman  ? 


LEIGH  HUNT. 


THE  LILY   AND   THE   ROSE. 

The  nymph  must  lose  her  female  friend, 

If  more  admired  than  she  ; 
But  where  will  fierce  contention  end, 

If  flowers  can  disagree  ? 

Within  the  garden's  peaceful  scene 

Appeared  two  lovely  foes, 
Aspiring  to  the  rank  of  queen  : 

The  Lily  and  the  Rose. 


POETRY    OP    THE    ROSE.  99 

The  Rose  soon  redden'd  into  rage, 

And,  swelling  with  disdain, 
Appeal'd  to  many  a  poet's  page 

To  prove  her  right  to  reign. 

The  Lily's  height  bespoke  command, — 

A  fair,  imperial  flower  ; 
She  seemed  designed  for  Flora's  hand, 

The  sceptre  of  her  power. 

This  civil  bickering  and  debate 

The  goddess  chanced  to  hear  ; 
And  flew  to  save,  ere  yet  too  late, 

The  pride  of  the  parterre. 

"  Yours  is,"  she  said,  "  the  noblest  hue, 

And  yours  the  statelier  mien  ; 
And  till  a  third  surpasses  you, 
Let  each  be  deem'd  a  queen." 

Thus  soothed  and  reconciled,  both  seek 

The  fairest  British  fair ; 
The  seat  of  empire  is  her  cheek, 

They  reign  united  there. 

COWPER. 


THE   ROSES. 

Two  Roses  on  one  slender  stem 

In  sweet  communion  grew, 
Together  hail'd  the  morning  ray, 

And  drank  the  evening  dew ; 
While,  sweetly  wreath'd  in  mossy  green, 
There  sprang  a  little  bud  between. 


100  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Through  clouds  and  sunshine,  storms  and  showers. 

They  open'd  into  bloom, 
Mingling  their  foliage  and  their  flowers, 

Their  beauty  and  perfume  ; 
While  foster'd  on  its  rising  stem, 
The  bud  became  a  purple  gem. 

But  soon  their  summer  splendor  pass'd, 

They  faded  in  the  wind  ; 
Yet  were  these  Roses,  to  the  last, 

The  loveliest  of  their  kind — 
Whose  crimson  leaves,  in  falling  round, 
Adorn'd  and  sanctified  the  ground. 

When  thus  were  all  their  honors  shorn. 

The  bud-unfolding  rose, 
And  blush'd  and  brighten'd,  as  the  morn 

Prom  dawn  to  sunrise  glows  ; 
Till  o'er  each  parent's  drooping  head 

The  daughter's  crowning  glory  spread. 

My  friends,  in  youth's  romantic  prime, 

The  golden  age  of  man, 
Like  these  twin  Roses  spend  your  time, 

Life's  little  less'ning  span  ; 
Then  be  your  breast  as  free  from  cares, 

Your  hours  as  innocent  as  theirs. 

And  in  the  infant  bud  that  blows 

In  your  encircling  arms, 
Mark  the  dear  promise  of  a  Rose, 

The  pledge  of  future  charms, 
That  o'er  your  withering  hours  shall  shine, 
Fair  and  more  fair  as  you  decline  : 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  101 

Till,  planted  in  that  realm  of  rest 

Where  Roses  never  die, 
Amid  the  gardens  of  the  blest. 

Beneath  a  stormless  sky, 
You  flower  afresh,  like  Aaron's  rod, 
That  blossom'd  at  the  sight  of  God. 

MONTGOMERY. 


THE   AUTUMN   ROSES. 

"  My  brother  had  a  beautiful  Rose-tree,  standing  directly  under  the  window  of 
his  study,  which  he  cultivated  with  great  care,  and  which  rewarded  him  every 
Spring  with  a  large  number  of  the  loveliest  white  roses  I  ever  saw.  On  the  Spring, 
however,  preceding  his  decease,  it  did  not  blossom ;  but  in  the  Fall,  when  every- 
thing else  was  going  to  decay,  how  were  we  surprised  to  behold  this  sweet  tree 
drooping  beneath  an  unusual  quantity  of  snow-white  flowers.  We  did  not  allow 
one  of  them  to  be  plucked  until  my  poor  brother's  death,  when  we  strewed  them 
over  his  grave." 

Gently  looked  the  morning  sun 

Into  a  quiet  room  ; 
Softly,  through  a  broken  pane, 

Stole  a  rich  perfume  : 
"  Is  not  that  the  Rose's  scent  ?" 

A  dying  sufferer  said  ; 
And  a  fair  one  o'er  his  pillow  leant, 

And  raised  his  feeble  head, 
Whispering,  the  while,  a  few  low  words 
But  they  soothed  not  the  spirit's  vibrating  chords ; 
For  the  pallid  cheek  of  the  student  flushed, 
And  a  flood  of  tears  from  his  dim  eyes  gushed. 

"  Roses  on  my  beauteous  tree  ? 

Roses,  didst  thou  say  ? 
Roses,  when  all  sights  and  sounds 

Whisper  but  decay  ? 


102  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Quickly,  quickly,  sister  dear, 

Lead  my  footsteps  where 
These  un trusting  eyes  may  feast 

On  a  sight  so  rare." 

And  they  made  him  a  seat  by  the  window's  side, 
Where  the  bright  flowers  clung  in  their  dewy  pride, 
Smiling  above  the  unburied  leaves 
Which  the  frost  had  cast  from  the  vine-wreathed  eaves. 

"  Wherefore,  children  of  the  light," 

(Whisper'd  he  again,) 
"  Come  ye,  in  these  gloomy  days, 

Near  the  couch  of  pain  ? 
Would  ye  mock  the  fading  flower 

Of  a  human  tree. 
Boasting  for  its  deathless  root 

Immortality  ? 

Would  ye  mock  with  your  purity  the  heart 
Whence  sinful  passions  so  wildly  start  ? 
Or  bring  ye  the  hope  of  a  cleansing  power 
For  the  sin-dyed  soul  in  its  parting  hour  ? 

"  Ye  are  emblems,  lovely  flowers, 

Of  unnumber'd  things — 
Emblems  of  unsullied  hopes, 

With  their  airy  wings — 
Emblems  of  the  love  which  burns 

With  a  hueless  ray, 
,    Spreading  o'er  the  lamb-like  mind 

An  eternal  day  ; 

Also  of  hearts  where  a  living  faith 
Rises  up  coldly,  'mid  fields  of  scathe, 
Startling  the  eye  in  a  wintry  hour 
With  its  healing  fruit  and  its  fragrant  flower. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


103 


"  Autumn  flowers  !  ye  come  to  me 

As  a  voice  might  come 
To  the  wave-toss'd  manner 

From  his  mountain  home  : 
Bringing  all  sweet  summer  sounds 

From  the  forests  deep, 
And  the  music  low  which  makes  his  heart 

With  a  mournful  joy  to  weep  : 
Ye  come  to  me  as  the  star-lit  eves 
To  the  exile  lone,  when  his  spirit  grieves, 
Kindling  a  thought  with  your  tender  light, 
Which  guides  me  on  through  the  closing  night. 

"  Ye  are  spirits  of  the  blest, 

Gentle,  gentle  flowers  ! 
Spirits  of  that  sweet-voiced  land, 

Missed  in  all  our  bowers  : 
They  who  pass'd  like  twilight  gleams 

On  a  summer  sea, 
Leaving  the  wail  of  a  billowy  grief 
For  their  heavenward  minstrelsy  : 
O  come  ye  not,  with  your  music  breath, 
Beautiful  ones,  to  wrest  from  death 
This  soul's  dim  germ,  and  plant  it  where 
It  may  gather  strength  from  a  purer  air  ?" 


Softly  shone  the  morning  sun 

On  a  new-made  grave  ; 
Slowly  o'er  a  marblo  fresh 

Did  a  willow  wave ; 
Faintly  stole  the  southern  breeze 

Through  the  dewy  grass, 
Scarcely  stirring  the  tall  blades 

As  its  wings  did  pass : 


104  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

When  a  frail  and  drooping  form  drew  near. 
And  strew'd  fresh  roses  beside  the  bier  ; 
Murmuring,  as  each  pale  offering  fell, 
"  Brother  !  thou  lovedst  them  passing  well !" 

J.  H.  S. 


FROM   SHAK8PEARE, 

Emil.    Of  all  flowers, 
Methinks  the  Rose  is  best. 

Serv.    Why,  gentle  madam  ? 

Emil.    It  is  the  very  emblem  of  a  maid  ; 
For,  when  the  west  wind  courts  her  gently, 
How  modestly  she  blows  and  paints  the  sun 
With  her  chaste  blushes  !    When  the  north  comes  near  her, 
Rude  and  impatient,  then,  like  Chastity, 
She  locks  her  beauties  in  her  bud  again, 
And  leaves  him  to  base  briars. 

********** 

O  how  much  more  doth  beauty  beauteous  seem 
By  that  sweet  ornament  which  truth  doth  give  ! 

The  Rose  looks  fair  ;  but  fairer  we  it  deem 
For  that  sweet  odor  which  doth  in  it  live. 

The  canker-blooms  have  full  as  deep  a  dye 
As  the  perfumed  tincture  of  the  Roses  ; 

Hang  on  such  thorns,  and  play  as  wantonly, 
When  summer's  breath  their  masked  buds  discloses ; 

But,  for  their  virtue  only  is  their  show, 
They  live  unwoo'd,  and  uninspected  fade ; 

Die  to  themselves.     Sweet  Roses  do  not  so  ; 
Of  their  sweet  deaths  are  sweetest  odors  made : 

And  so  of  you,  beauteous  and  lovely  youth, 

When  that  shall  fade,  my  verse  distils  your  truth. 


POETRY    OP    THE    ROSE.  105 

— To  endure  the  livery  of  a  nun  ; 

For  aye  to  be  in  shady  cloister  mewed — 

To  undergo  such  maiden  pilgrimage  : 

But  earthlier  happy  is  the  Rose  distill'd 

Than  that  which,  withering  on  the  virgin  thorn, 

Grows,  lives,  and  dies,  in  single  blessedness. 

******* 

Some  to  kill  cankers  in  the  Musk  Rose-buds. 
******* 

Why  should  I  joy  in  an  abortive  birth  ? 

At  Christmas  I  no  more  desire  a  Rose 

Than  wish  a  snow  in  May's  new-fangled  shows. 


FROM  THE  PERSIAN  OF  HAFIZ. 

When  the  young  Rose,  in  •rimson  gay, 

Expands  her  beauties  to  the  day, 
And  foliage  fresh  her  leafless  boughs  o'erspread  ; 

In  homage  to  her  sovereign  power, 

Bright  regent  of  each  subject  flower, 
Low  at  her  feet  the  violet  bends  its  head.     ODE  IX. 

See  where  the  Rose  and  Spring  to  mirth  awake  ! 
So  cheerful  looks  the  Rose,  'twere  wisdom's  part 
To  tear  the  root  of  sorrow  from  the  heart. 

Soft  comes  the  morning  wind ;  the  wanton  Rose 
Bursts  from  its  cup  to  kiss  the  gale  that  blows  ; 
Its  silken  garment  wounds  in  tender  play, 
And  leaves  its  body  naked  to  the  day.       ODE  XIV. 


106  POETRY    OF   THE    ROSE. 

O  cease  with  delight  to  survey  the  proud  Rose, 
Whose  soft  leaves  must  too  soon  feel  decay ; 

For,  ah  !  the  dark  wind,  as  it  churlishly  blows, 

At  our  feet  all  its  honors  shall  lay.  ODE  XVI. 

The  youthful  season's  wonted  bloom 

Renews  the  beauty  of  each  bower, 
And  to  the  sweet-song'd  bird  is  come, 

Glad  welcome  from  its  darling  flower.         ODE  VIII. 

The  love-struck  nightingale's  delightful  strain, 

The  lark's  resounding  note,  are  heard  again ; 

Again  the  Rose,  to  hail  Spring's  festive  day, 

From  the  cold  house  of  sorrow  hastes  away.    ODE  XIII. 


AN   IDEAL  FLOWER. 

So  when  the  nightingale,  in  eastern  bowers, 
On  quivering  pinions  woos  the  queen  of  flowers, 
Inhales  her  fragrarTce  as  he  hangs  in  air, 
And  melts  with  melody  the  blushing  fair ; 
Half  Rose,  half  bird,  a  beauteous,  monster  springs, 
Waves  his  thin  leaves  aiid  claps  his  glossy  wings : 
Long  horrent  thorns  his  mossy  legs  surround, 
And  tendril  talons  root  him  to  the  ground ; 
Green  films  of  rind  his  wrinkled  neck  o'erspread, 
And  crimson  petals  crest  his  curled  head  ; 
Soft-warbling  beaks  in  each  bright  blossom  move, 
And  vocal  rose-buds  fill  th'  enchanted  grove. 
Admiring  Evening  stays  her  beamy  star 
And  still  Night  listens  from  his  ebon  car ; 
While  on  white  wings  descending  houris  throng, 
And  drink  the  floods  of  odor  and  of  song. 

DR.  DARWIN. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  107 


REMEMBRANCE. 

I  turn  to  the  cot  where  roses  bloom 

In  beauty  rare,  and  with  rich  perfume ; 

Where  they  raise  their  heads  at  dawning  light, 

Sparkling  with  gems  of  the  dewy  night ; 

And  I  think  of  the  days,  when  a  merry  boy, 

I  pluck'd  the  fairest  with  gleesome  joy, 

And  wished — how  vain  ! — that  its  blushing  hues 

Might  never  change ;'  but,  like  early  dews, 

They  faded,  while  yet  with  care  'twas  prest 

As  a  matchless  rose  to  my  youthful  breast. 

My  wish  was  cross'd,  and  the  tear-drop  fell 

On  the  faded  rose  I  loved  so  well. 

It  taught  my  heart,  what  I  since  have  found, 

That  the  dearest  thing  to  affection  bound, 

Like  the  sweet  rose  pluck'd  'neath  the  summer  sky, 

Is  sure  to  wither,  and  fade,  and  die. 


FROM   "FLORA'S   PARTY." 

There  were  Myrtles  and  Roses  from  garden  and  plain, 

And  Venus's  Fly-Trap  they  brought  in  their  train ; 

So  the  beaux  cluster'd  round  them,  they  hardly  knew  why, 

At  each  smile  of  the  lip,  or  each  glance  of  the  eye. 

Madame  Damask  a  robe  had  from  Paris  brought  out, 

The  envy  of  all  who  attended  the  rout ; 

Its  drapery  was  folded  her  form  to  adorn, 

And  clasp'd  at  the  breast  with  a  diamond-set  thorn. 

Yet  she,  quite  unconscious,  't  would  seem,  of  the  grace 

That  enchanted  all  groups  who  frequented  the  place, 

Introduced,  with  the  sweetest  of  words  in  her  mouth, 

The  young  Multiflora — her  guest  from  the  south  ! 


108  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Neighbor  Cinnamon  prated  of  household  and  care — 
How  she  seldom  went  out,  e'en  to  breathe  the  fresh  air ; 
There  were  so  many  young  ones  and  servants  to  stray, 
And  the  thorns  grew  so  fast  if  her  eye  was  away. 
"Cousin  Moss-Rose,"  she  said,  "you  who  live  like  a  queen. 
And  ne'er  wet  your  fingers,  scarce  know  what  I  mean." 
So  that  notable  lady  went  on  with  her  lay, 
'Till  the  auditors  yawned  and  stole  softly  away. 


ROSE-BUDS   IN   HER   HAND. 

"  How  beautiful  those  rose-buds  are  !" 

The  happy  brother  said, 
Whose  hopeful  heart  could  have  no  thought 

That  sister  could  be  dead  : 
"  I'll  pluck  them  for  sweet  sister  now, 

And  take  them  where  she  lies  ; 
I  know  she  '11  love  to  see  them  there, 

When  open  are  her  eyes." 

He  pluck'd  them  for  his  sister  dear, 

And  bore  them  to  her  hand  ; 
But  to  his  trustful  soul  there  came 

No  dark  and  shadowy  band, 
As  to  the  eye  so  often  comes 

Around  the  form  of  Death, 
To  bring  but  sorrow  when  at  last 

Is  breathed  the  parting  breath. 

O  beautiful  those  buds  appear'd, 
Sweet  types  of  childhood's  trust, 

That  opens  only  to  give  sweets 
To  breathe  o'er  human  dust ! 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  109 

And  from  my  fervent  soul  went  up — 

"O  Father!  list  to  me  ! 
Let  to  his  soul  all  thoughts  of  death 

Like  those  sweet  rose-buds  be !" 

O  let  us,  with  the  youthful  dead, 

Unite  the  budding  flowers, 
That  while  we  weep  the  faded  eye 

And  love's  entrancing  flowers, 
He  on  the  beautiful  may  gaze 

Beyond  the  changes  here, 
And  let  the  smiles  of  angels  play 

Through  every  falling  tear  : 

Bright  rainbow  of  the  Christian  sky, 

That  tends  to  hallow  earth, 
And  wake  in  storm-bound  souls  again 

The  music  of  its  mirth, 
And  give  to  thought  a  holy  way 

To  tread  unto  the  skies — 
To  see  the  joyof  ransom'd  souls 

With  hope-anointed  eyes. 


THE  ROSE. 

Ah,  see  the  virgin  Rose !  how  sweetly  she 
Doth  first  peep  forth  with  bashful  modesty, 

That  fairer  seems  the  less  ye  see  her  way  ! 

Lo  !  see  soon  after,  how  more  bold  and  free 

Her  bared  bosom  she  doth  broad  display  ! 

Lo  !  see  soon  after,  how  she  fades  away  and  falls  ! 

SPENSER, 

10 


110  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


FLORA'S   CHOICE. 

When  Flora,  from  her  azure  home, 
Came  gently  down  to  grace  the  earth, 
She  called  around  her  every  sprite 
To  which  the  sunny  air  gives  birth, 
And  bade  them  search  each  distant  realm 
Of  tropic  heat  or  temperate  clime, 
Prom  cold  New  England's  rocky  hills 
To  Santa  Crusian  groves  of  lime, 
And  bring  each  floweret,  rich  and  rare, 
For  her  to  choose  her  favorite  there. 

Q,uick  flew  the  sprites  o'er  land  and  sea, 
Through  cloud,  and  mist,  and  storm  afar, 
Catching,  with  rapid,  eagle  glance, 
The  beauties  of  each  opening  flower  : 
From  Alpine  heights  they  bore  a  prize, 
From  Persia  and  from  Hindostan ; 
For  many  a  bud  of  beauty  rare 
They  searched  the  central,  flowery  land, 
And,  filled  with  treasures  rich  and  sweet, 
They  hasten'd  to  their  mistress'  feet. 

Camellia,  with  its  lustrous  white 

And  glossy  leaves  of  emerald  hue ; 

Verbena,  with  its  brilliant  red. 

And  Heath  just  touch'd  with  mountain  dew  ; 

Azalea,  whose  aerial  form 

Seems  scarcely  of  terrestrial  birth  ; 

And  Cinerara's  purple  star, 

Gracing  full  well  its  mother  earth ; 

And  many  a  flower  from  tropic  skies 

Strove  mingled  there  to  gain  the  prize  : 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


But  not  the  richest  tropic  blooms, 
Cull'd  from  the  fairest  climes  on  earth, 
Could  vie  with  nature's  fairest  flower, 
Of  Iran's  sun-clad  soil  the  birth  ; 
Though  clothed  in  rich  and  gorgeous  hues, 
They  bore  no  charm  of  fragrance  there, 
In  form  and  color,  sweetness,  grace  — 
None  with  the  Rose  could  once  compare  : 
She  bore  the  palm  in  Flora's  eyes, 
Who  to  the  Rose  adjudged  the  prize. 


S.  B.  P. 


A   FABLE, 

Once,  in  the  heart  of  a  desert, 

Blossomed  a  rose-bush  unseen : 
Only  the  sands  were  around  it ; 

Nought  but  its  leaf  was  there  green. 
Ever,  at  evening  and  morning, 

Trickled  its  flowers  with  dew ; 
And  then,  in  light  circles,  around  it 

Fondly  a  nightingale  flew. 

Over  the  sands  strayed  a  pilgrim, 

Lost  in  the  midst  of  the  wild, 
When  on  his  faint  eyes,  at  evening, 

Sweetly  the  rose-blossom  smiled  ; 
Sweetly  the  nightingale  wooed  him, 

Under  its  shade  to  repose ; 
There  his  song  charmed  him  to  slumber. 

Wet  by  the  dew  of  the  Rose. 

Freshly  he  rose  in  the  morning — 
Dug  in  the  sand  by  the  flower, 

And  a  bright  fountain  upsparkled, 
Welling  with  bubbling  shower  : 


1.12  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Over  the  sands  as  it  murmured, 
Green  sprung  the  grass  by  its  side ; 

Round  it  a  garden  soon  blossom'd, 
Fed  by  its  life-giving  tide. 

There,  too,  a  wild  vine  up-started 

Under  its  shelter  he  dwelt : 
Morning  and  evening,  yet  ever 

Low  by  the  rose-bush  he  knelt. 
So  in  the  far  waste  forgotten, 

Still  flowed  his  pure  life  along, 
Soothed  by  the  rose-blossom's  fragrance, 

Charmed  by  the  nightingale's  song. 


THE   FEAST   OF   ROSES. 

Who  has  not  heard  of  the  Yale  of  Cashmere, 

With  its  Roses,  the  brightest  that  earth  ever  gave. 
Its  temples  and  grottos,  and  fountains  as  clear 
As  the  love-lighted  eyes  that  hang  over  their  wave  ? 
******* 
But  never  yet,  by  night  or  day, 
In  dew  of  spring  or  summer's  ray, 
Did  the  sweet  Valley  shine  so  gay 
As  now  it  shines — all  love  and  light, 
Visions  by  day  and  feasts  by  night ! 
A  happier  smile  illumes  each  brow, 

With  quicker  spread  each  heart  uncloses, 
And  all  is  extasy, — for  now 

The  Valley  holds  its  Feast  of  Roses. 
That  joyous  time,  when  pleasures  pour 
Profusely  round,  and  in  their  shower 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  113 


Hearts  open,  like  the  Season's  Rose, — 
The  flow'ret  of  a  hundred  leaves, 

Expanding  while  the  dew-fall  flows, 
And  every  leaf  its  balm  receives  ! 

#  *  *  *  # 
A  thousand  restless  torches  play'd 
Through  every  grove  and  island  shade ; 
A  thousand  sparkling  lamps  were  set 
On  every  dome  and  minaret ; 

And  fields  and  pathways,  far  and  near, 
Were  lighted  by  a  blaze  so  clear, 
That  you  could  see,  in  wandering  round, 
The  smallest  rose-leaf  on  the  ground. 

*  *  *  *  * 
And  all  exclaim'd,  to  all  they  met, 

That  never  did  the  summer  bring 

So  gay  a  feast  of  Roses  yet ; — 
The  moon  had  never  shed  a  light 

So  clear  as  that  which  bless'd  them  there ; 
The  Roses  ne'er  shone  half  so  bright, 

Nor  they  themselves  look'd  half  so  fair. 
And  what  a  wilderness  of  flowers  ! 
It  seem'd  as  though  from  all  the  bowers 
And  fairest  fields  of  all  the  year, 
The  mingled  spoil  were  scatter'd  here. 
The  Lake,  too,  like  a  garden  breathes, 

With  the  rich  buds  that  o'er  it  lie,— 
As  if  a  shower  of  fairy  wreaths 

Had  fall'n  upon  it  from  the  sky ! 
And  then  the  sounds  of  joy — the  beat 
Of  tabors  and  of  dancing  feet ; 
The  merry  laughter  echoing 
From  gardens,  where  the  silken  swing 
Wafts  some  delighted  girl  above 
The  top  leaves  of  the  orange  grove ; 

10* 


114  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Or,  from  those  infant  groups  at  play 
Among  the  tents  that  line  the  way, 
Flinging,  unaw'd  by  slave  or  mother, 
Handfuls  of  Roses  at  each  other  ! 

FROM   "L.ALLA   ROOKH.' 


THE   ROSE   AND   THE  TOMB, 

"  Thou  that  dwell'st  within  my  shadow :" 
To  the  Rose  thus  said  the  Tomb  : 
"  Love's  flower  !  that  here  in  freshness 
Bloom'st  alone  amid  the  gloom  : 
Thou  that  clingest  to  the  sepulchre, 
Like  a  fadeless  memory  ;  . 
What  dost  thou  with  the  early  tears 
That  the  morning  sheds  on  thee  ?  " 

Then  the  Rose,  low  breathing,  answered  : 

"  I  distil  a  perfume  here  ; 

And  I  give  its  honied  fragrance  forth 

To  the  solemn  atmosphere. 

And  thou,  dark  Tomb  !  discover 

What  dost  thou,  amid  thy  walls, 

With  the  pale  and  silent  guests  that  throng 

Thy  ever-opening  halls  ?" 

And  the  Tomb  said,  "  Of  the  beautiful 
That  to  mine  abode  are  given, 
For  each  pulseless  form  I  yield,  O  Rose  ! 
An  angel  soul  to  Heaven  !" 

M.  E.  HEWITT. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  115 


THE   DYING   ROSE-.BUD'S   LAMENT. 

Ah  me  !  ah  !  wo  is  me  ! 

That  I  should  perish  now. 
With  the  dear  sunlight  just  let  in 

Upon  my  balmy  brow  ! 

My  leaves,  instinct  with  glowing-  life, 
Were  quivering  to  unclose  ! 

My  happy  heart  with  love  was  rife ! 
I  was  almost  a  Rose  ! 

Nerved  by  a  hope,  warm,  rich,  intense, 

Already  I  had  risen 
Above  my  cage's  curving  fence, 

My  green  and  graceful  prison  ! 

My  pouting  lips,  by  Zephyr  press'd, 
Were  just  prepared  to  part, 

And  whisper  to  the  wooing  wind 
The  rapture  of  my  heart ! 

In  new-born  fancies  reveling, 

My  mossy  cell  half  riven, 
Each  thrilling  leaflet  seemed  a  wing 

To  bear  me  into  heaven. 

How  oft,  while  yet  an  infant  flower, 
My  crimson  cheek  I've  laid 

Against  the  green  bars  of  my  bower, 
Impatient  of  the  shade  ! 

And  pressing  up  and  peeping  through 
Its  small  but  precious  vistas, 

Sighed  for  the  lovely  light  and  dew 
That  blessed  my  elder  sisters  ! 


116  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


I  saw  the  sweet  breeze  rippling  o'er 
Their  leaves  that  loved  the  play, 

Though  the  light  thief  stole  all  their  store 
Of  dew-drop  gems  away. 

I  thought  how  happy  I  should  be 

Such  diamond  wreaths  to  wear, 
And  frolic  with  a  Rose's  glee, 

With  sunbeam,  bird,  and  air ! 

Ah  me  !  ah  !  wo  is  me  !  that  I, 

Ere  yet  my  leaves  unclose, 
With  all  my  wealth  of  sweets,  must  die 

Before  I  am  a  Rose ! 

FRANCES  S.  OSGOOD. 


THE   HALF-BLOWN   ROSE. 

SUGGESTED    BY   A   PORTRAIT. 

'Tis  just  the  flower  she  ought  to  wear — 
The  simple  flower  the  painter  chose ; 

And  are  they  not  a  charming  pair — 
The  modest  girl — the  half-blown  Rose  ? 

The  glowing  bud  has  stolen  up, 

With  tender  smile  and  blushing  grace, 

And  o'er  its  mossy,  clasping  cup 
In  bashful  pride  reveals  its  face. 

The  maiden  too,  with  timid  feet. 

Has  sprung  from  childhood's  verdant  bower. 
And  lightly  left  its  limit  sweet, 

For  woman's  lot  of  shine  and  shower. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


See  !  from  its  veil  of  silken  hair. 

That  bathes  her  cheek  in  clusters  bright, 

Her  sweet  face,  like  a  blossom  fair, 
Reveals  its  wealth  of  bloom  and  light. 

How  softly  blends  with  childhood's  smile 

That  maiden  mien  of  pure  repose  ! 
Oh,  seems  she  not  herself  the  while — • 

A  breathing  flower — a  half-blown  Rose  ? 

F.  S.  OSGOOD. 


THE   MOSS-ROSE. 

"  I've  a  call  to  make,"  said  the  rich  Moss-Rose, 

"  At  the  house  of  a  lady  fair ; 
Cousin  China-Rose,  if  you'll  go  with  me, 

I'll  introduce  you  there. 

"  'Tis  New  Year's  day ;  come,  do  not  stay, 
But  get  on  your  cloak  and  hood  ; 

You've  moped  so  long  by  the  green-house  fire, 
That  a  walk  will  do  you  good." 

Then  China's  Yellow  Rose  replied, 
"  You've  a  terrible  climate,  dear ; 

It  has  made  me  old  before  my  time, 
And  bilious  too,  I  fear  ! 

"  But  I'll  put  my  muff  and  tippet  on, 
Since  you  needs  must  have  me  go ; 

And  yet  I'm  sure  I  heard  a  blast, 
And  saw  a  flake  of  snow." 


118  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

The  Moss-Rose  wrapped  her  damask  robe 

Close  round  her  queenly  form, 
And  led  her  nervous  friend  along, 

Who  trembled  at  the  storm. 

But  the  beautiful  lady  welcomed  them 

With  such  a  radiant  eye, 
That  they  fancied  summer  had  come  again, 

And  winter  was  quite  gone  by. 

They  took  their  India-rubbers  off, 

And  laid  their  hoods  away. 
And  whisper'd  in  each  other's  ear, 

"  We  should  like  to  spend  the  day." 

She  charmed  them  with  her  tuneful  voice, 

Till  both  were  unable  to  stir  • 
So  there  they  staid, — and  the  flowers  of  love 

Have  found  their  home  with  her. 

L.  H.  SlGOURNEY. 


THE   ROSE. 

Its  velvet  lips  the  bashful  Rose  begun 
To  show,  and  catch  the  kisses  of  the  sun : 
Some  fuller  blown,  their  crimson  honors  shed ; 
Sweet  smelt  the  golden  chives  that  graced  their  head. 

PAWKES. 

And  first  of  all,  the  Rose ;  because  its  breath 
Is  rich  beyond  the  rest ;  and  when  it  dies, 
It  doth  bequeath  a  charm  to  sweeten  death. 

BARRY  CORNWALL. 

His  queen,  the  garden-queen, — his  Rose, 
Unbent  by  winds,  unchiil'd  by  snows, 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  119 

Far  from  the  winters  of  the  west, 
By  every  breeze  and  season  blest, 
Returns  the  sweets  by  Nature  given, 
In  softest  incense  back  to  heaven, 
And  grateful  yields  that  smiling  sky 
Her  fairest  hue  and  fragrant  sigh. 

LORD  BYRON. 

A  single  Rose  is  shedding  there 

Its  lonely  lustre,  meek  and  pale  : 
It  looks  as  planted  by  despair— r 

So  white,  so  faint,  the  slightest  gale 
Might  whirl  the  leaves  on  high  ; 

And  yet,  though  storms  and  blasts  assail, 
And  hands  more  rude  than  wintry  sky, 

May  wring  it  from  the  stem  in  vain — 

To-morrow  sees  it  bloom  again  ! 
The  stalk  some  spirit  quickly  rears, 
And  waters  with  celestial  tears ; 

For  well  may  maids  of  Helle  deem 
That  this  can  be  no  earthly  flower, 
Which  mocks  the  tempest's  withering  hour, 
And  buds  unshelter'd  by  a  bower ; 
Nor  droops  though  Spring  refuse  her  shower, 

Nor  woos  the  Summer  beam  : 
To  it  the  livelong  night  there  sings 
A  bird  unseen,  but  not  remote  ; 
Invisible  his  airy  wings, 
But  soft  as  harp  that  Houri  strings, 
His  lone,  entrancing  note. 

BRIDE  OF  ABYDOS. 

Wound  in  the  hedge-rows'  oaken  boughs 
The  woodbine's  tassels  float  in  air, 
And,  blushing,  the  uncultured  Rose 
Hangs  high  her  beauteous  blossoms  there. 

SMITH. 


120  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


THE  MOSS-ROSE. 

The  Angel  of  the  flowers,  one  day, 
Beneath  a  Rose-tree  sleeping  lay- 
That  spirit  to  whom  charge  is  given 
To  bathe  young  buds  in  dews  of  heaven ; 
Awaking  from  his  light  repose, 
The  Angel  whisper'd  to  the  Ro$e : 
"  O  fondest  object  of  my  care, 
Still  fairest  found  where  all  are  fair, 
For  the  sweet  shade  thou  giv'st  to  me ; 
Ask  what  thou  wilt,  7t  is  granted  thee  !'; 

"  Then,"  said  the  Rose,  with  deepen'd  glow, 
"  On  me  another  grace  bestow  !" 
The  spirit  paused  in  silent  thought  • 
What  grace  was  there  that  flower  had  not  ? 
'T  was  but  a  moment — o'er  the  Rose 
A  veil  of  moss  the  angel  throws  ; 
And,  robed  in  Nature's  simplest  weed, 
Could  there  a  flower  that  Rose  exceed  ? 

FROM  THE  GERMAN. 


SHARON'S   ROSE. 

Go,  Warrior,  pluck  the  laurel  bough, 
And  bind  it  round  thy  reeking  brow ; 
Ye  sons  of  pleasure  blithely  twine 
A  chaplet  of  the  purple  vine  ; 
And  Beauty  cull  each  blushing  flower 
That  ever  deck'd  the  sylvan  bower; 
No  wreath  is  bright,  no  garland  fair, 
Unless  sweet  Sharon's  Rose  be  there. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 


The  laurel  branch  will  droop  and  die, 
The  vine  its  purple  fruit  deny, 
The  wreath  that  smiling  beauty  twined 
Will  leave  no  lingering  bud  behind  j 
For  beauty's  wreath  and  beauty's  bloom 
In  vain  would  shun  the  withering  tomb, 
Where  nought  is  bright  and  nought  is  fair, 
Unless  sweet  Sharon's  Rose  be  there. 

Bright  blossom  !  of  immortal  bloom, 
Of  fadeless  hue,  and  sweet  perfume, 
Far  in  the  desert's  dreary  waste, 
In  lone  neglected  beauty  placed  : 
Let  others  seek  the  blushing  bower, 
And  cull  the  frail  and  fading  flower, 
But  I'll  to  dreariest  wilds  repair, 
If  Sharon's  deathless  Rose  be  there. 

When  Nature's  hand,  with  cunning  care, 
No  more  the  opening  bud  shall  rear, 
But,  hurled  by  heaven's  avenging  Sire, 
Descends  the  earth-  consuming  fire, 
And  desolation's  hurrying  blast, 
O'er  all  the  sadden'd  scene  has  past, 
There  is  a  clime  for  ever  fair, 
And  Sharon's  Rose  shall  flourish  there. 


AN   EXTRACT. 

This  mighty  oak — 

By  whose  immovable  stem  I  stand,  and  seem 
Almost  annihilated — not  a  prince, 
In  all  the  proud  old  world  beyond  the  deep, 
E'er  wore  his  crown  as  loftily  as  he 

I 
11 


122  POETRY   OF    THE    ROSE. 

Wears  the  green  coronal  of  leaves  with  which 
Thy  hand  has  graced  him.     Nestled  at  his  root 
Is  beauty,  such  as  blossoms  not  in  the  glare 
Of  the  broad  sun.     That  delicate  forest  Rose, 
With  scented  breath,  and  look  so  like  a  smile, 
Seems,  as  it  issues  from  the  shapeless  mould, 
•    An  emanation  of  the  indwelling  Life, 
A  visible  token  of  the  upholding  Love, 
That  are  the  soul  of  this  wide  universe. 


WHY   WILL   A   ROSE-BUD   BLOW? 

I  wish  the  bud  would  never  blow, 

'Tis  prettier  and  purer  so  ; 

It  blushes  through  its  bower  of  green, 

And  peeps  above  the  mossy  screen 

So  timidly,  I  cannot  bear 

To  have  it  open  to  the  air. 

I  kissed  it  o'er  and  o'er  again, 

As  if  my  kisses  were  a  chain, 

To  close  the  quivering  leaflets  fast, 

And  make  for  once — a  rose-bud  last ! 

But  kisses  are  but  feeble  links 

For  changeful  things,  like  flowers,  methinks ; 

The  wayward  rose-leaves,  one  by  one. 

Uncurl'd  and  look'd  up  to  the  sun, 

With  their  sweet  flushes  fainter  growing, 

I  could  not  keep  my  bud  from  blowing ! 

Ah  !  there  upon  my  hand  it  lay, 

And  faded,  faded  fast  away  ; 

You  might  have  thought  you  heard  it  sighing, 

It  look'd  so  mournfully  in  dying. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  123 

I  wish  it  were  a  rose-bud  now, 

I  wish  'twere  only  hiding  yet, 
With  timid  grace  its  blushing  brow, 

Behind  the  green  that  shelter'd  it. 
I  had  not  written  were  it  so ; 
Why  would  the  silly  rose-bud  blow  1 

FRANQES  S.  OSGOOD. 


THE   ROSE, 

Though  many  a  flower  has  graced  the  lay 

And  formed  the  theme  of  poets'  song — 

Has  gently  flowed  in  Gi^cian  phrase. 

Or  tripped  upon  the  Roman's  tongue ; 

Yet,  still,  in  ancient  song  and  story 

The  Rose  shines  forth  in  beauty  rare, 

Enveloped  with  a  halo  bright, 

And  made  so  glorious,  rich,  and  fair, 

That  all  the  flowers  must  yield  their  seat, 

And  lay  their  beauty  at  its  feet. 

Anacreon  sang  its  primal  birth, 

Old  Homer  praised  its  form  of  grace, 

Catullus  boasted  of  its  charms, 

Horace,  its  richly  tinted  face : 

In  fair  Italia  glowing  words, 

Tasso  and  Metastasio  sang ; 

And  'mong  the  groves  of  far  Cathay 

The  Persian  Hafiz'  accents  rang. 

The  flowing  tones  of  old  Castile, 

Prom  Camoens  and  Sannazar, 

And  in  our  own  pure  English  tongue 

It  was  the  signal  note  of  war  ; 

In  many  a  poet's  verse  its  beauty  shone, — 

Milton,  the  Bard  of  Avon  and  the  Great  Unknown. 

High  valued  were  its  flowers  bright 


124  POETRY    OP    THE    ROSE. 

By  Helle's  maids  of  yore ; 

It  graced  their  scenes  of  festive  glee 

In  the  classic  vales  of  Arcady, 

And  all  the  honors  bore  ; 

And  shed  its  fragrance  on  the  breeze 

That  swept  through  academic  grove, 

Where  sages  with  their  scholars  rove — 

The  land  of  Pericles. 

In  the  sunny  clime  of  Suristan, 

On  India's  burning  shore, 

Amid  the  Brahmin's  sacred  shades, 

Or  in  the  wreaths  that  Persian  maids, 

Sporting  in  bright  and  sunny  glades, 

In  graceful  beauty  1pore  ; 

Upon  the  banks  of  Jordan's  stream, 

Still  flowing  softly  on, 

Where  Judah's  maidens  once  did  lave, 

Or  where  the  lofty  cedars  wave, 

On  time-worn  Lebanon ; 

The  Rose  is  still  most  rich  and  sweet, 

And  wears  the  crown  for  beauty  meet. 

I  have  basked  in  the  beauty  of  southern  climes, 

And  wandered  through  groves  of  palm  and  limes, 

Where  dark-eyed  Spanish  girls 

Would  linger  in  their  myrtle  bowers, — 

With  garlands  rich  of  orange  flowers 

Would  weave  their  raven  curls, 

And  fasten  'mid  their  lustrous  hair 

The  fire-fly's  glittering  light, 

Which,  brighter  than  the  diamond's  sheen, 

Bursts  on  the  dazzled  sight. 

But  yet  I  would  not  give  for  these, 

Produce  of  tropic  sun  and  breeze — 

For  all  the  flowers  in  beauty  there — 

The  Rose  our  northern  maidens  wear. 


POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE.  125 

I've  crossed  the  Andes'  lofty  height, 

Its  mountains,  forest-crowned, 

And  'mong  the  devious,  tangled  paths 

Of  tropic  thickets  wound. 

In  fair  Aragua's  fertile  vale, 

In  Hayti's  fields  of  bloom, 

I've  marked  the  prickly  Cactus  tribe 

Its  richest  tints  assume. 

I've  passed  through  fragrant  Coffee  groves, 

By  the  tall  Bucara  tree, 

And  by  the  Cocoa  and  the  Palm, 

With  the  Trupeol  warbling  free  ; 

Upon  the  flower-clad  turf,  and  where 

The  rich  Orchidia  climbs  in  air. 

But  not  mid  all  this  gorgeous  bloom, 

By  tropic  climate  wove, 

Nor  Florida's  rich  Magnolia 

And  fragrant  Orange  grove ; 

Nor  the  graceful  vines  of  southern  France, 

Nor  Italy's  fair  bowers, 

Nor  England's  lofty  domes  of  glass 

All  filled  with  gorgeous  flowers  ; 

Nor  in  our  own  wide  prairie  land, 

With  bud  and  bloom  on  every  hand, 

Is  there  a  single  flower  that  grows 

Can  vie  in  beauty  with  the  Rose. 

Then  seek,  in  southern,  tropic  air, 

And  in  our  northern  glade, 

And  in  the  bright  and  gay  parterre, 

And  by  the  forest  shade, 

Where  every  flower,  and  leaf,  and  tree, 

In  graceful  blending  met, 

Presents  new  beauty  to  the  eye, 

Of  azure  or  of  jet ; 


11 


126  POETRY    OF    THE    ROSE. 

And  take  each  blossom,  rich  and  rare, 
Which  thou  may'st  find  in  beauty  there  j 
Combine  their  color,  form,  and  grace, 
And  each  unpleasant  tint  erase ; 
Then  recreate  the  loveliest  flower 
That  e'er  shed  fragrance  in  a  bower  ; 
Let  all  its  sweets  and  charms  unclose ; 
It  cannot  equal  yet  the  Rose. 

S.  B.  P. 


CULTURE  OF  THE  ROSE. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


GENERAL  CULTURE  OP  THE  ROSE. 

S  before  stated,  the  Rose  was  the  theme 
of  the  earliest  poets  of  antiquity  ;  and  it 
was  doubtless  one  of  the  first  plants  se- 
lected to.  adorn  the  gardens  which  were 
laid  out  around  the  new  habitations 
constructed  upon  the  exchange  of  the 
wandering  for  a  civilized  mode  of  life. 
The  most  ancient  authors  upon  husbandry  whose  works  are 
extant,  have  all  treated  of  the  culture  of  Roses.  Theophrastus 
among  the  Greeks  ;  and  among  the  Romans,  Varro,  Columella, 
Palladius,  and  Pliny.  To  Pliny  are  we  specially  indebted  for 
information  on  this  subject,  as  the  entire  fourth  chapter  of  the 
twentieth  book  of  his  Natural  History  is  devoted  to  Roses  ;  and 
they  are  also  occasionally  mentioned  in  other  parts  of  the  work. 
But  after  all  the  information  thus  obtained,  much  yet  remains 
to  be  desired ;  and  although  we  find  in  other  ancient  authors 
some  curious  facts  bearing  upon  other  points  in  the  history  of 
the  Rose,  they  are  mostly  so  general  in  their  character  as  to  give 
us  very  little  insight  into  the  actual  culture  of  the  Rose  at  those 
periods. 

The  profuseness  with  which  they  were  used  among  the  Greeks, 
the  Romans,  the  Egyptians,  and  other  ancient  nations,  in  their 
religious  solemnities,  their  public  ceremonies,  and  even  in  the 


128  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


ordinary  customs  of  private  life,  would  lead  us  to  suppose,  and 
with  some  degree  of  correctness,  that  roses  were  very  abundantly 
cultivated  by  them  all ;  and  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  their 
cultivation  was  then  far  more  general  than  at  the  present 
time,  although  the  art  of  producing  them  was  in  its  infancy. 
However  surprising  in  other  respects  may  have  been  the  progress 
of  the  culture  of  roses  within  forty  years,  particularly  in  France, 
Holland,  and  Belgium,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that,  although 
the  Romans  were  acquainted  with  a  much  smaller  number  of 
varieties  than  the  moderns,  yet  flowers  of  those  varieties  were 
far  more  abundant  than  the  aggregate  quantity  of  flowers  of  all 
the  varieties  of  roses  cultivated  at  the  present  day.  It  cannot 
be  positively  asserted,  that  the  Hybrid  Perpetual  Roses  of  the 
present  day  were  unknown  at  Rome,  since  the  gardeners  of  that 
city  practised  sowing  the  seeds  of  the  Rose,  by  which  mode 
many  of  the  most  remarkable  varieties  of  that  class  have  been 
obtained  by  modern  cultivators.  The  Romans,  however,  prefer- 
red to  propagate  by  cuttings,  which  produced  flowers  much  soon- 
er than  the  seed-bed. 

But,  though  the  Romans  may  have  had  roses  of  the  same  spe- 
cies with  some  of  those  which  we  now  cultivate,  it  is  scarcely  prob- 
able that  these  species  could  have  continued  until  this  period, 
and  escaped  the  devastation  attendant  on  the  revolutions  of 
empire,  or  the  more  desolating  invasions  of  the  Huns  and  Goths. 
Thus  it  is,  that  those  roses  of  Peestum  to  which  allusion  is  so 
frequently  made  by  ancient  writers,  and  which,  according  to 
Virgil  and  Pliny,  bloomed  semi-annually,  and  were  common  in 
the  gardens  of  that  city,  are  not  now  to  be  found.  Jussieu  and 
Laudresse,  two  French  gentlemen,  successively  visited  Italy, 
with  the  express  object  of  finding  this  twice-bearing  Rose  in 
Paestum  or  its  environs,  yet,  notwithstanding  their  carefully 
prosecuted  researches,  they  could  find  no  traces  of  it  whatever. 

Although  the  number  of  varieties  known  to  the  Romans  was 
very  limited,  they  had  discovered  a  method  of  making  the  bloom- 
ing season  continue  many  months.  According  to  Pliny,  the 
roses  of  Carthage,  in  Spain,  came  forward  early  and  bloomed  in 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  129 

winter ;  those  of  Campania  bloomed  next  in  order  ;  then  those 
of  Malta ;  and  lastly  those  of  Paestum,  which  flowered  in  the 
Spring  and  Autumn.  It  was  probably  the  blooming  of  this  last 
species,  which  the  gardeners  of  Rome  discovered  (in  Seneca's  time) 
the  secret  of  retarding  by  a  certain  process,  or  of  hastening  by 
means  of  their  warm  green-houses. 

In  the  first  part  of  this  work,  we  have  cited  many  passages 
from  ancient  authors,  which  show  to  what  enormous  extent  was 
carried  the  use  of  roses  by  the  Romans  on  certain  occasions.  It 
is  difficult  to  credit,  at  this  day,  the  relation  of  Nero's  extrava- 
gance (which  is  however  attested  by  Suetonius),  when  it  is  told 
that  in  one  fete  alone  he  expended  in  roses  only  more  than 
four  millions  of  sesterces,  or  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It 
would  be  no  easy  matter,  even  at  the  present  period  of  abundant 
cultivation  of  roses,  to  obtain  from  all  the  nurseries  of  England, 
France,  and  America  together,  roses  sufficient  to  amount  to  so 
large  a  sum. 

The  Romans  derived  the  use  of  this  flower  from  the  Greeks. 
In  Greece,  and  throughout  the  East,  roses  were  cultivated,  not 
only  for  the  various  purposes  we  have  mentioned,  but  also  for 
the  extraction  of  their  perfumes.  Among  the  many  plans  which 
they  adopted  for  preserving  the  flower,  was  that  of  cutting  off 
the  top  of  a  reed,  splitting  it  down  a  short  distance,  and  enclos- 
ing in  it  a  number  of  rose-buds,  which,  being  bound  around  with 
papyrus,  prevented  their  fragrance  from  escaping.  The  Greeks 
also  deemed  it  a  great  addition  to  the  fragrance  of  the  Rose,  to 
plant  garlic  near  its  roots.  The  island  of  Rhodes,  which  has 
successively  borne  many  names,  was  particularly  indebted  to  the 
culture  of  roses  for  that  which  it  bears  at  this  day.  It  was  the 
Isle  of  Roses,  the  Greek  for  Rose  being  Podov, — Rodon. 

Medals  of  Rhodes,  whose  reverse  impressions  present  a  rose  in 
bloom  on  one  side  and  the  sunflower  on  the  other,  are  to  be  found 
even  now  in  cabinets  of  curiosities. 

Extravagance  in  roses,  among  the  Romans,  kept  pace  with 
the  increase  of  their  power,  until  they  at  length  desired  them  at 
all  seasons.  At  first  they  procured  their  winter's  supply  from 


130  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Egypt,  but  subsequently  attained  themselves  such  skill  in  their 
culture  as  to  produce  them  in  abundance,  even  at  the  coldest 
season  of  the  year ;  and,  according  to  Seneca,  by  means  of  green- 
houses, heated  by  pipes  filled  with  hot  water.  During  the  reign 
of  Domitian,  the  forcing  of  roses  was  carried  to  such  perfection, 
and  flowers  produced  in  winter  in  so  great  abundance,  that  those 
brought  from  Egypt,  as  before  mentioned,  excited  only  the  con- 
tempt of  the  citizens  of  the  world's  metropolis. 

This  fact,  as  also  handed  down  to  us  by  the  epigram  of  Mar- 
tial, is  of  great  assistance  in  estimating  the  importance  of  rose- 
culture  at  that  period,  and  in  showing  how  the  art  of  cultivating 
this  plant  had  spread,  and  how  it  was  already  far  advanced 
among  the  ancient  Romans  and  their  contemporaries. 

If  the  Egyptians  cultivated  roses  for  transportation  to  Rome 
during  the  winter,  they  must  have  had  very  extensive  planta- 
tions for  the  purpose.  The  exportation  could  not  have  been  of 
loose  flowers,  for  they  would  have  been  withered  long  before  the 
termination  of  the  voyage  ;  neither  could  it  have  been  of  rooted 
plants  in  a  dormant  state,  as  nurserymen  now  send  them  to 
every  part  of  the  world,  because  the  Romans  had  at  that  time 
no  means  of  causing  them  to  vegetate  and  bloom  in  the  winter. 
On  the  contrary,  the  cultivators  at  Alexandria  and  Memphis 
must,  of  necessity,  have  sent  them  away  in  the  vases  and  boxes 
in  which  they  had  planted  them  with  that  object,  and  when  they 
were  just  beginning  to  break  from  the  bud,  in  order  that  they 
might  arrive  at  Rome  at  the  moment  they  commenced  expand- 
ing. 

At  that  remote  period,  when  navigation  was  far  behind  its 
present  state  of  perfection,  the  voyage  from  the  mouth  of  the  Nile 
to  the  coast  of  Italy  occupied  more  than  twenty  days.  When 
this  long  voyage  is  considered,  and  also  the  quantity  of  roses  re- 
quired by  the  Romans  to  enwreath  their  crowns  and  garlands, 
to  cover  their  tables  and  couches,  and  the  pavements  of  their  fes- 
tive halls,  and  to  surround  the  urns  which  contained  the  ashes 
of  their  dead,  it  is  evident  that  the  Egyptians,  who  traded  in 
roses,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  prodigality  of  the  Romans,  would  be 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  131 

compelled  to  keep  in  readiness  a  certain  number  of  vessels  to  be 
laden  with  boxes  or  vases  of  rose-plants,  so  prepared  as  not  to 
bloom  before  their  delivery  at  Rome.  The  cost  of  roses  thus 
*  delivered  in  Rome  must  have  been  immense,  but  we  do  not  find 
a  single  passage  in  ancient  authors  which  can  give  any  light  on 
this  point ;  they  only  tell  us  that  nothing  for  the  gratification  of 
luxury  was  considered  too  costly  by  the  wealthy  Roman  citi- 
zens. Nor  do  they  afford  more  positive  information  as  to  the 
species  of  Rose  cultivated  on  the  borders  of  the  Nile,  to  gratify 
this  taste  of  the  Romans.  According  to  Delile,  there  were  found 
in  Egypt,  at  the  time  of  the  French  expedition  into  that  country, 
only  the  White  Rose  and  the  Centifolia  or  hundred-leafed — two 
species  not  very  susceptible  of  either  a  forcing  or  retarding 
culture.  The  only  Rose  known  at  that  time,  which  bloomed  in 
the  winter,  was  the  Rose  of  Paestum,  referred  to  by  Virgil,  as 
" biferique  rosaria  Pcesti" — and  which  was  probably  the  same 
as  our  monthly  Damask  Rose,  and  which  produced  in  Egypt 
and  Rome  flowers  at  all  seasons,  as  the  Damask  does  now  with 
us,  under  a  proper  mode  of  culture. 

The  extent  to  which  the  culture  and  commerce  of  roses  was 
carried  among  the  Romans,  is  shown  by  the  fact,  that,  although 
they  had  confounded  the  tree  and  its  flowers  under  one  name — 
that  of  Rosa,  they,  nevertheless,  gave  particular  appellations  to 
the  gardens,  or  ground  planted  with  rose-bushes.  They  were 
termed  a  Rosarium,  or  a  Rosetum.  Ovid  says,  "  Quot  amcena 
Rosaria  flores.  The  dealer  in  roses  was  also  designated  by  the 
distinctive  appellation  of  Rosarius. 


In  the  latter  part  of  the  decline  of  the  Roman  Empire,  when 
paganism  still  existed  to  a  great  degree,  there  arose  a  people, 
who  formed  as  it  were  the  connecting-link  between  the  ancient 
and  modern  world — a  people  who  acknowledged  but  one  Su- 
preme Ruler,  and  his  sole  vicegerent  Mahomet ;  a  people  whose 
origin  was  among  the  wildest  tribes  of  Ishmael's  descendants, 
who  possessed  in  a  great  degree  the  luxuries  of  civilized  life,  and 
among  whom  the  arts,  sciences,  and  agriculture  were  very  flour- 


132  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

ishing  for  many  ages.  Among  the  Moors  of  Spain,  the  culture 
of  the  Rose  was  pursued  with  as  much  scientific  and  practical 
method  as  at  the  present  day,  but  with  somewhat  less  happy 
results.  When  in  Paris,  some  two  years  since,  we  became  ac- 
quainted with  M.  Hardy,  the  chief  director  of  the  Luxembourg 
gardens,  and  who  is  well  known  to  rose  growers,  by  the  many 
beautiful  varieties  which  he  has  originated.  His  interest  in  this 
subject  was  very  great,  and  in  1828  he  published,  in  the  Journal 
des  Jardins,  some  interesting  observations  which  he  had  ex- 
tracted from  a  manuscript  of  M.  de  la  Neuville.  The  latter  hav- 
ing been  employed  as  military  superintendent  in  Spain,  during 
the  war  of  1823,  translated  from  a  Spanish  version  some  parts 
of  an  Arabian  work  upon  culture  in  general,  in  which  that  of  the 
Rose  was  mentioned,  with  some  important  particulars.  It  stated 
that  the  Moors,  who  formerly  conquered  Spain,  attached  the 
highest  value  to  this  most  beautiful  of  their  flowers,  and  cultiva- 
ted it  with  as  much  care  as  ourselves.  "  According  to  Abu-el- 
Ja'ir,"  says  the  translation,  "  there  are  roses  of  many  colors — car- 
nation white — fallow  or  yellow — lapis-lazuli,  or  sky-blue.  Some 
are  of  this  last  color  on  the  outside,  and  yellow  within.  In  the 
East  they  are  acquainted  with  roses  which  are  variegated  with 
yellow  and  sky-blue,  the  inside  of  the  corolla  being  of  the  one 
color,  and  the  outside  the  other.  The  yellow-heart  is  very  com- 
mon in  Tripoli  and  Syria,  and  the  blue-heart  is  found  on  the 
coast  of  Alexandria."  To  us,  at  the  present  day,  this  relation 
may  with  reason  seem  incredible,  since  amid  the  numerous  vari- 
eties now  existing,  and  the  skill  of  their  cultivators,  we  have  in 
no  instance  been  able  to  obtain  a  blue  Rose.  Abu-el- Jair,  may 
have  ventured  to  state  it  as  a  fact,  without  proper  authority,  for, 
according  to  M.  de  la  Neuville,  Abu-Abdallah-ebu-el-Fazel,  an- 
other nearly  contemporaneous  author,  enumerated  a  variety  of 
roses  without  mentioning  the  blue.  "  There  are,"  says  this  last 
author,  "  four  varieties  of  roses :  the  first  is  named  the  Double 
White ;  it  has  an  exquisite  odor,  and  its  cup  unites  more  than 
a  hundred  petals :  the  second  is  the  Yellow,  which  is  of  a  golden 
color  and  bright  as  the  jonquil  ;  then  the  Purple,  and  lastly  the 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  133 

flesh-colored,  which  is  the  most  common  of  them  all."  Farther 
on  the  same  author  adds  :  "The  number  of  species  is  supposed 
to  be  large  :  the  Mountain  or  Wild  ;  the  Double,  which  is  varie- 
gated with  red  and  white  shades ;  and  the  Chinese.  The  Double, 
however,  is  the  most  beautiful,  and  is  composed  of  40  to  50  petals." 

The  Moors  multiplied  roses  by  all  the  various  methods  which 
are  employed  at  this  day :  by  suckers  from  the  root,  by  cuttings, 
by  budding,  and  by  grafting.  The  pruning-knife  was  also  freely 
used,  in  order  to  form  regular  heads. 

There  is  a  farther  translation  of  De  la  Neuville,  from  a  Span- 
ish version  of  the  "Book  of  Agriculture,"  written  by  Ebu-Al- 
wan,  who  lived  in  the  12th  century,  and  who,  in  addition 
to  his  own  experience,  quoted  largely  from  some  Chaldaic 
and  Arabic  writers.  He  states  that  the  Moors  practised  two 
methods  of  sowing  the  seeds  of  the  Rose.  The  first  was  in 
earthen  pans — a  mode  adapted  to  delicate  plants ;  they  were 
watered  immediately  after  being  sown,  and  afterward  twice  a 
week  until  autumn,  when  such  care  became  unnecessary.  The 
other  method  was  sowing  broadcast  as  grain  is  sown,  then  cover- 
ing the  seed-beds  an  inch  deep  with  carefully  sifted  manure 
or  fine  mould,  and  giving  them  the  requisite  watering.  The 
plants  from  these  seed-beds  did  not  produce  flowers  until  the 
third  year  after  their  being  thus  prepared,  and  until  they  had 
been  transplanted  into  squares  or  borders  ;  such  is  still  the  case 
with  nearly  all  our  summer  roses,  the  only  kind  the  Moors  appear 
to  have  possessed.  They  also  understood  the  art  of  forcing  roses. 
"  If  you  wish,"  says  Haj,  another  author,  "  the  Rose  tree  to  bloom 
in  autumn,  you  must  choose  one  that  has  been  accustomed  to 
periodical  waterings  ;  you  must  deprive  it  of  water  entirely  dur- 
ing the  heat  of  summer  until  August,  and  then  give  it  an  abund- 
ance of  moisture ;  this  will  hasten  its  growth,  and  cause  the  ex- 
pansion of  its  flowers  in  great  profusion,  without  impairing  its 
ability  to  bloom  the  ensuing  spring,  as  usual."  "  Or  else,"  adds 
the  same  author,  "in  the  month  of  October,  burn  the  old  branch- 
es to  the  level  of  the  earth,  moisten  the  soil  for  eight  consecutive 
days,  and  then  suspend  the  watering  ;  alternate  these  periods  of 

12 


134  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

moisture  and  drought  as  many  as  five  times,  and  probably  in 
about  sixty  days,  or  before  the  end  of  autumn,  the  roots  will 
have  thrown  out  vigorous  branches,  which  will  in  due  time  be 
loaded  with  flowers,  without  destroying  the  ability  of  the  plant 
to  bloom  again  the  following  spring."  The  climate  in  which 
the  Moors  lived — that  of  Cordova,  Grenada,  and  Seville,  where 
the  winter  is  very  much  like  our  weather  in  mid-autumn — wras 
very  favorable  to  the  cultivation  of  the  Rose.  In  this  country 
the  same  results  could  doubtless  be  obtained  in  the  Carolinas, 
and  the  experiment  would  be  well  worth  trying,  even  in  the  lat- 
itude of  New  York.  It  would  be  no  small  triumph  to  obtain  an 
autumnal  bloom  of  the  many  beautiful  varieties  of  French,  Moss, 
or  Provence  Roses.  Haj  has  also  given  the  method  of  keeping 
the  Rose  in  bud,  in  order  to  prolong  its  period  of  blooming.  His 
process,  however,  is  of  so  uncertain  a  character  as  scarcely  to 
merit  an  insertion  here.  The  manuscript  of  De  la  Neuville  also 
contains  particular  directions  for  propagating  roses,  and  for  plant- 
ing hedges  of  the  Eglantine  to  protect  the  vineyards  and  gar- 
dens, and  at  the  same  time  to  serve  as  stocks  for  grafting.  No- 
thing is  omitted  in  the  Arabian  treatise  which  pertains  to  the 
management  of  this  shrub  ;  the  manner  of  cultivating,  weeding, 
transplanting,  watering,  &c.,  are  all  particularly  explained. 
Among  a  variety  of  curious  matters,  it  contains  the  process  by 
which,  for  the  purpose  of  embellishing  their  gardens,  they  pro- 
duced the  appearance  of  trees  whose  tops  are  loaded  with  roses. 
A  hollow  pipe,  four  feet  long,  or  more  if  the  top  was  to  be  large, 
was  obtained,  of  a  well-proportioned  diameter,  set  upright  to  re- 
semble the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  filled  with  earth  or  sand  in  a  suit- 
able state  of  moisture.  In  the  top  of  this  pipe  were  planted  seve- 
ral varieties  of  roses,  of  different  colors,  which  rooting  freely  in  the 
earth  around  them,  soon  formed  a  bushy  head  and  represented  a 
third-class  tree,  clothed  with  rich  foliage  and  beautiful  flowers. 

This  plan  could  still  be  practised  with  success  ;  and  we  can 
scarcely  imagine  more  beautiful  objects  in  a  lawn  than  a  num- 
ber of  these  pipes,  of  various  heights,  single  and  in  groups,  some 
low  with  the  small  heads  of  the  China  or  Tea  roses,  others  high 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  135 

and  with  the  large  robust  branches  of  the  La  Reine  and  other 
Perpetuals,  and  others  again  planted  with  some  delicate  climb- 
ing roses,  whose  branches  falling  down,  would  form  a  weeping 
tree  of  a  most  unique,  graceful,  and  showy  character.  The  pipes 
could  be  made  of  earthenware,  tin  or  wood,  and  be  painted  in 
imitation  of  the  bark  of  a  tree.  Still  better  would  be  the  trunk 
of  a  small  tree,  hollowed  out  for  the  purpose,  which,  with  the 
bark  on,  would  puzzle  many  a  close  observer,  and  which  could 
show  a  luxuriant  head  of  leaves  and  flowers  on  the  most  sterile 
soil  that  ever  formed  a  lawn. 

From  what  has  been  said  on  the  culture  of  roses  among  the 
Moors  in  Spain,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  they  had  made  great 
progress  therein  ;  and  with  the  exception  of  a  few  statements, 
evidently  unfounded  in  fact,  as  the  grafting  of  the  Rose  on  the 
almond,  the  apple,  the  jujube,  and  other  trees,  the  little  treatise 
translated  by  De  la  Neuville  certainly  contains  most  excellent 
remarks  upon  the  culture  of  roses,  whether  we  compare  them 
with  what  the  ancients  have  left  us,  or  even  with  those  of  the 
various  writers  on  Rose  culture  in  Europe  and  America  within 
the  last  half  century. 

As  roses  were  so  frequently  propagated  from  the  seed  by  the 
Moors,  they  must  have  known  quite  a  number  of  varieties,  ex- 
clusive of  all  those  they  had  brought  or  obtained  from  the  East. 
The  Yellow  Rose,  unknown  to  us  until  recently,  was  apparently 
familiar  to  them ;  and  the  Blue  Rose,  of  which  their  manuscripts 
speak,  is  now  extinct,  if  it  indeed  ever  existed ;  for  amid  the  infi- 
nite variety  of  roses,  of  every  color  and  shade,  produced  from 
seed  in  modern  times,  no  one  has  yet  obtained  a  purely  Blue 
Rose,  and  its  former  existence  may  well  seem  to  us  incredible. 

The  Marquis  d'Orbessan,  in  an  essay  on  Roses,  read  before 
the  French  Academy  of  Sciences  at  Toulouse,  in  1752,  stated 
that  he  had  seen  blue  roses  growing  wild  near  Turin,  and  that 
they  were  moreover  quite  common  there.  After  this  testimony, 
therefore,  and  that  of  the  Arabian  author,  blue  roses  can  scarcely 
be  considered  impossible,  but  only  a  very  rare  production — a  sort 
of  lusus  natures. 


136  CULTURE    OP    THE    ROSE. 

The  Moorish  treatise  translated  by  De  la  Neuville  also  describes 
a  process  for  changing  the  color  of  roses,  which,  though  ex- 
tremely doubtful,  may  be  worthy  of  insertion  here,  and  may  in- 
duce some  curious  experiments.  "They  dig,"  says  the  author, 
"around  the  plant  in  December,  and  leave  it  standing  in  the 
earth  in  its  vertical  position.  Then  the  black  pellicle  which 
covers  the  principal  roots  is  stripped  off,  without  detaching  it 
from  the  base  of  the  plant.  This  can  be  performed  by  a  longi- 
tudinal incision  with  a  knife,  which  raises  the  pellicle  delicately 
to  the  right  and  left,  without  cutting  it  above  or  below.  The 
space  between  the  pellicle  and  the  root  itself  is  then  filled  with 
strongly-scented  saffron,  reduced  to  an  impalpable  powder.  The 
root  thus  stuffed,  should  be  wrapped  with  a  piece  of  linen  secure- 
ly tied,  then  surrounded  with  an  oily  clay,  and  finally  covered 
over  with  earth.  The  plant  will  then  produce  roses  of  a  saffron 
color.  I  recommend  this  process,"  continues  the  author,  "be- 
cause I  have  tried  it  myself,  and  obtained  roses  of  a  rich,  agree- 
able color.  If  deep  blue  roses  are  wanted,  falch,  a  brilliant  in- 
digo, should  be  used." 

"  A  citizen  of  Damascus  informs  me,"  wrote  Ebu-Alwan, 
"that  he  dissolved  indigo  in  common  water,  and  with  the  tincture 
assiduously  watered  a  plant  from  the  first  of  October  till  the 
commencement  of  active  vegetation,  and  that  the  roses  which  it 
produced  were  of  a  very  agreeable  deep  blue."  Haj  says  that  he 
thinks  this  story  was  made  for  amusement. 

Respecting  the  first  process,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  absorb- 
ent powers  of  the  plant  would  be  quite  sufficient  to  take  up  a 
large  portion  of  the  indigo  thus  applied  to  the  roots,  and  the  solu- 
tion would  no  doubt  pass  into  the  branches  ;  and  the  question 
can  only  be  whether,  when  so  absorbed,  its  properties  remain 
sufficiently  unchanged  to  affect  the  color  of  the  leaf  or  flower. 
The  experiment  is  a  curious  one,  and  would  be  well  worth  the 
trial.  Some  singular  result  might  possibly  be  attained.  It  is 
only  by  frequent  experiment,  and  by  a  bold  travel  on  the  untrod- 
den fields  of  what  may  be  deemed  the  wildest  conjecture,  that 
any  new  and  singular  result  can  be  attained.  Ten  years  ago, 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  137 


the  man  who  should  have  foretold  that  the  flickering  shadow 
would  be  made  to  stand  still,  and  that  intelligence  would  be  sent 
a  thousand  miles  with  the  quickness  of  the  lightning's  flash, 
would  have  subjected  himself  to  the  strongest  ridicule  ;  yet  these 
results  have  both  been  obtained — one  by  Daguerre,  and  the  other 
by  one  of  our  own  countrymen.  No  one,  then,  should  be  deter- 
red from  experiments  of  the  nature  above  cited,  from  the  dread 
of  ridicule ;  but  when  such  fear  is  upon  him,  let  him  recollect, 
that  after  the  invention  of  the  Daguerreotype  and  the  Magnetic 
Telegraph,  nothing  can  be  deemed  impossible  or  incredible,  re- 
specting the  natural  agents  which  have  been  placed  by  Supreme 
Wisdom  in  the  hands  of  man. 

If  it  is  found  by  actual  and  repeated  experiment,  that  the  Ara- 
bian process  will  not  produce  blue  roses,  may  there  not  be  some 
other  mode  to  attain  that  result  ?  It  is  well  known  that  the 
color  of  the  flowers  of  the  Hydrangea  frequently  passes  from  a 
light  rose  into  a  deep  blue.  This  is  generally  attributed  to  the 
presence  in  the  soil  of  some  peculiar  chemical  substance.  It 
may  be  possible  to  ascertain  this  substance  by  careful  and  repeat- 
ed analyses  of  the  soil ;  and  if  obtained,  and  placed  in  the  soil  in 
which  the  Rose  is  grown,  it  would  very  probably  produce  the  result 
that  we  observe  in  the  Hydrangea.  This  also  is  an  interesting 
experiment,  and  would  be  well  worth  the  trial.  It  is  true  that 
the  Hydrangeas,  in  a  part  of  our  grounds,  have  the  past  year 
been  nearly  all  blue  without  any  care  of  our  own,  while  roses 
grown  within  a  few  feet  of  them  have  been  unchanged.  This 
peculiarity,  therefore,  in  the  Hydrangea,  may  be  owing  to  the 
presence  in  its  roots  of  some  chemical  substance,  which,  combining 
with  another  in  the  soil,  produces  the  unique  result  which  we 
observe  in  this  plant  alone.  These  two  chemical  substances 
could  also  probably  be  discovered,  if  the  subject  were  taken  up 
by  some  skilful  chemist  and  carefully  investigated,  with  the 
assistance  of  an  intelligent  and  practical  horticulturist.  With- 
out absolutely  asserting  that  such  will  be  the  results,  I  think  we 
need  not  despair  of  obtaining  roses  of  various  singular  sKades, 
by  cultivating  them  in  soil  with  whose  constituent  elements  we 

12* 


138 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


have  made  ourselves  familiar.  We  may  also  hope  to  obtain 
happy  results  by  sowing  seeds  in  the  same  soil,  or  the  effect  may 
be  still  farther  assisted  by  watering  the  plants  with  a  solution  of 
certain  chemical  substances.  If,  by  any  of  the  above  processes 
the  desired  result  should  at  some  future  time  be  fortunately  at- 
tained, the  plant  could  probably  not  be  placed  again  in  ordinary 
soil  without  losing  its  color,  but  would  need  that  particular  earth 
which  has  power  to  preserve  its  acquired  hue--— as  the  Hydran- 
gea, when  taken  from  this  peculiar  soil,  will  lose  its  blue  and 
resume  the  natural  pink  of  its  species. 

Besides  the  Moorish  cultivation  in  Spain,  the  Rose  has  been 
an  object  of  culture  to  a  great  extent  in  other  countries.  It  has 
been  cultivated  principally  for  the  beauty  of  its  flowers,  but  in 
many  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia,  and  in  the  north  of  Africa, 
its  culture  has  been  pursued  for  commercial  purposes.  Of  its 
abundance  in  Palestine,  some  conception  may  be  formed  from 
the  statement  of  travelers,  that  they  have  not  only  seen  them 
wild  and  in  great  profusion  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem,  but 
have  found  them  in  hedges,  intermingled  with  pomegranate 
trees.  Doubday  states  that,  when  the  Eastern  Christians  made 
one  of  their  processions  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at 
Jerusalem,  which  continued  some  two  hours,  many  persons  were 
present  with  sacks  full  of  rose-petals,  which  they  threw  by  hand- 
fuls  on  the  people,  and  in  such  immense  quantities,  that  many 
were  covered  with  them,  and  they  were  scattered  all  over  the 
pavement.  In  Syria  and  Persia  it  has  been  cultivated  from  a 
very  early  period,  and  the  ancient  name  of  the  former,  Suristan, 
is  said  to  signify  the  land  of  roses.  Damascus,  Cashmere,  Bar- 
bary,  and  Fayoum  in  Egypt,  all  cultivated  the  Rose  extensively 
for  its  distilled  oil  or  essence.  Very  little  is  extant  respecting 
the  culture  of  the  Rose  in  the  middle  ages,  but  that  it  was 
cultivated  and  valued,  is  known  by  its  having  been  worn  by 
knights  at  the  tournament,  as  an  emblem  of  their  devotion  to 
grace  and  beauty.  According  to  Loudon,  "  Ludovico  Yerthema, 
who'  traveled  in  the  East  in  1503,  observed  that  Tsessa  was 
particularly  celebrated  for  roses,  and  that  he  saw  a  great  quantity 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  139 

of  these  flowers  at  Calicut."  The  Rose  is  to  this  day  also  ex- 
tensively cultivated  in  India,  and  for  commercial  purposes  per- 
haps in  greater  abundance  than  is  now  known  in  any  other 
country.  Bishop  Heber  states  that  "Ghazepoor  is  celebrated 
throughout  India  for  the  wholesomness  of  its  air  and  the  beauty 
and  extent  of  its  rose  gardens.  The  Rose-fields,  which  occupy 
many  hundred  acres  in  the  neighborhood,  are  described  as,  at  the 
proper  season,  extremely  beautiful.  They  are  cultivated  for  dis- 
tillation and  for  making  'Attar  of  Roses.'"  He  states  also,  that 
"  many  roses  were  growing  in  the  garden  of  the  palace  of  Delhi, 
and  the  fountain  pipes  were  carved  with  images  of  roses."  An- 
other writer  describes  in  glowing  colors  the  beauty  of  Ghazepoor, 
the  Gul-istan  (the  rosebeds)  of  Bengal.  "  In  the  spring  of  the 
year,  an  extent  of  miles  around  the  town  presents  to  the  eye  a 
continual  garden  of  roses,  than  which  nothing  can  be  more  beau- 
tiful and  fragrant.  The  sight  is  perfectly  dazzling ;  the  plain, 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  extending  in  the  same  bespangled 
carpet  of  red  and  green.  The  breezes  too  are  loaded  with  the 
sweet  odor  which  is  wafted  far  across  the  river  Ganges." 

These  statements  sufficiently  evince  that  the  Rose  was  not 
only  valued  by  the  Hindoos  as  an  article  of  commerce,  but  was 
intimately  associated  with  their  ideas  of  pleasure  and  enjoyment. 

Persia,  however,  was  above  all  other  countries  pre-eminent  for 
roses.  "Sir  John  Chardin,  in  1686,  found  the  gardens  of  the 
Persians  without  parterres,  labyrinths,  and  other  ornaments  of 
European  gardens,  but  filled  with  lilies,  peach  trees,  and  roses ; 
and  all  modern  travelers  bear  testimony  to  the  esteem  in  which 
this  flower  is  held  in  the  East."  Sir  Wm.  Ousley  tells  us,  in  his 
travels  in  Persia,  in  1819,  that  when  he  entered  the  flower  garden 
belonging  to  the  Governor  of  the  Castle,  near  Farso,  he  was  over- 
whelmed with  roses  ;  and  Jackson,  in  his  Journey,  <fy*c.,  says  that 
the  roses  of  the  Sinan  Nile,  or  Garden  of  the  Nile,  are  unequaled  ; 
and  mattrasses  are  made  of  their  leaves,  for  men  of  rank  to  recline 
upon.  Buckingham  speaks  of  the  rose  plantations  of  Damascus 
as  occupying  an  area  of  many  acres,  about  three  miles  from  that 
city.  Sir  Robert  Ker  Porter,  speaking  of  the  garden  of  one  of  the 


140  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

royal  palaces  of  Persia,  says :  "  I  was  struck  with  the  appear- 
ance of  two  rose  trees,  full  fourteen  feet  high,  laden  with  thousands 
of  flowers,  in  every  degree  of  expansion,  and  of  a  bloom  and 
delicacy  of  scent  that  imbued  the  whole  atmosphere  with  exquisite 
perfume.  Indeed,  I  believe  that  in  no  country  in  the  world  does 
the  rose  grow  in  such  perfection  as  in  Persia ;  in  no  country  is  it 
so  cultivated  and  prized  by  the  natives.  Their  gardens  and  courts 
are  crowded  by  its  plants,  their  rooms  ornamented  with  roses,  filled 
with  its  gathered  branches,  and  every  bath  strewed  with  the  full- 
blown flowers,  plucked  with  the  ever-replenished  stems. 
But  in  this  delicious  garden  of  Negaaristan,  the  eye  and  the  smell 
are  not  the  only  senses  regaled  by  the  presence  of  the  Rose  :  the 
ear  is  enchanted  by  the  wild  and  beautiful  notes  of  multitudes  of 
nightingales,  whose  warblings  seem  to  increase  in  melody  and 
softness,  with  the  unfolding  of  their  favorite  flowers.  Here,  indeed, 
the  stranger  is  more  powerfully  reminded,  that  he  is  in  the  gen- 
uine country  of  the  nightingale  and  the  Rose."  Rivers  mentions 
that  Sir  John  Malcolm  told  him,  that  when  in  Persia  he  had  once 
breakfasted  on  an  immense  heap,  or  rather  mount,  of  roses,  which 
the  Persians  had  raised  in  honor  of  him.  The  rose  of  Cashmere 
has  been  long  celebrated  in  the  East,  for  its  brilliancy  and  delicacy 
of  odor — 

;:  Who  has  not  heard  of  the  Vale  of  Cashmere, 
With  its  Roses,  the  brightest,  that  earth  ever  gave?" 

Throughout  the  whole  season  during  which  the  roses  remained 
in  bloom  in  this  beautiful  valley,  the  Feast  of  Roses  was  kept 
with  great  rejoicing,  and  an  entire  abandonment  to  pleasure.  At 
this  time,  a  great  number  of  tents  were  pitched,  and  multitudes  of 
men,  women,  boys  and  girls,  were  dancing  and  singing  to  the 
music  of  their  various  instruments. 

All  that  has  been  handed  down  to  us,  and  all  we  know  at  the 
present  time  of  the  climate  and  productions  of  Persia,  and  the 
customs  of  its  inhabitants,  prove  that  it  was  emphatically  the 
land  of  roses ;  and  all  that  we  can  gather  from  its  history  or  tra- 
dition, evinces,  that  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  East,  including  the 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  141 

Hindoos  and  the  Moors  of  Spain,  is  this  beautiful  flower  indebted 
for  the  most  careful  and  abundant  cultivation,  and  for  a  due  ap- 
preciation of  its  merits. 

At  the  present  time  the  Rose  is  cultivated  throughout  the  civil- 
ized world.  London  speaks  of  hedges  of  mixed  Provence  Roses, 
in  the  garden  of  Rosenstein,  in  Germany,  and  also  of  their  pro- 
fusion in  the  public  garden  of  Frankfort.  They  are  found  in 
the  gardens  of  Valencia,  in  Spain,  and  Sir  John  Carr,  speaking 
of  the  seat  of  a  Spanish  gentleman  near  Tarragona,  says,  "  the 
doors  of  the  dining  room  open  into  a  small  garden,  the  walls  of 
which  are  covered  with  myrtles,  jasmines,  and  roses."  In  the 
Botanic  garden  of  Madrid,  rose  trees  are  used  for  dividing  hedges, 
and  the  flower  is  a  favorite  throughout  Spain. 

Among  the  Spanish  ladies,  the  Rose  is  highly  valued,  and  with 
the  orange  flower,  is  a  favorite  ornament  for  the  hair.  We  have 
frequently  been  struck,  while  traveling  in  the  Spanish  West 
Indies,  and  in  some  parts  of  South  America,  with  the  careful 
nurture  and  attention  bestowed  on  a  single  rose  bush,  and  the 
delight  evinced  at  its  bloom,  while  all  around  in  natural  luxu- 
riance were  the  most  beautiful  and  gorgeous  plants  and  flowers 
which  the  tropics  can  produce.  The  brilliant  cactus,  the  beautiful 
oleander,  the  singular  orchidsea,  and  the  delicate  and  fragrant 
flowers  of  the  coffee  and  orange,  seemed  cast  into  the  shade  by 
the  ancient  and  well  known  Rose. 

I  well  recollect,  that  on  returning  one  day  from  a  ride  into  the 
country,  where  I  had  been  luxuriating  in  the  gorgeous  splendor 
of  a  tropical  forest,  the  fair  daughter  of  my  hostess  wished  to 
introduce  me  to  a  flower,  which,  in  her  opinion,  far  surpassed  all 
that  I  had  seen  ;  she  accompanied  me  to  the  top  of  the  flat-roofed 
house,  used  at  the  South  as  a  place  of  evening  resort,  and  there, 
in  one  corner,  I  found  a  thrifty  plant  of  the  Tea  Rose,  which  to 
her  infinite  delight,  was  just  showing  above  its  glossy  and  delicate 
young  leaves,  a  little  ruby-tipped  bud.  This  little  plant  had  been 
the  object  of  long  and  careful  nursing,  and  her  attention  was  now 
about  to  be  rewarded  by  a  fine  and  perfect  bloom. 

In  France,  however,  is  the  Rose  a  pre-eminent  object  of  horti- 


142  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

culture,  both  in  commercial  establishments  and  in  private  gardens. 
The  skill  of  the  French  has  originated  many  new  and  beautiful 
varieties,  which  are  to  be  found  in  several  of  the  nurseries  in  the 
United  States.  The  French  are  constantly  searching  for  im- 
provements in  horticultural  science  and  practice,  with  an  enthu- 
siasm rarely  found  in  the  more  cold  Englishman,  whose  skill  seems 
less  to  consist  in  the  creation  of  new  varieties,  than  in  growing 
perfectly  those  already  known.  None,  indeed,  can  surpass  the 
English  in  the  art  of  growing  fine  plants,  but  we  are  chiefly 
indebted  to  the  French  for  the  finest  new  varieties  of  the  Rose. 
Such  being  the  case,  it  is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  so  little  con- 
fidence can  be  placed  in  the  greater  number  of  French  rose- 
growers  ;  roses  from  such  should  never  be  propagated  until  their 
bloom  has  been  tested.  To  this  rule  there  are  some  honorable 
exceptions :  of  these  are  Laffay,  Vibert,  and  Verdier,  and  there 
may  also  be  others  with  whom  we  are  not  acquainted.  Yibert  is 
perhaps  the  largest  rose  cultivator  in  France,  and  his  attention 
is  directed  almost  exclusively  to  the  culture  of  this  flower  and 
the  vine. 

Verdier  is  a  smaller  cultivator,  but  said  to  be  correct  and  fair. 

Laffay,  although  not  a  large  cultivator,  has  devoted  his  time 
almost  exclusively  to  raising  new  roses  from  seed,  and  to  him 
are  the  admirers  of  this  beautiful  flower  indebted  for  many 
fine  varieties,  ^fe  shall  not  soon  forget  our  very  pleasant 
visit  to  Laffay,  in  the  spring  of  1845.  Although  the  posses- 
sor of  considerable  property,  he  lives  in  a  very  simple,  un- 
ostentatious manner,  and  devotes  himself  to  his  favorite  pursuit 
with  the  utmost  interest  and  enthusiasm.  With  much  warmth 
of  heart  and  kindness  of  manner,  he  unites  the  courteous  hospi- 
tality of  a  French  gentleman  of  the  ancient  regime ;  his  wife,  an 
animated  and  pleasant  Frenchwoman,  is,  except  in  appearance, 
exactly  his  counterpart,  even  to  the  fondness  for  rose  culture.  We 
were  rather  disappointed  in  finding  so  little  method  in  the 
arrangement  of  his  grounds.  Although  every  care  was  taken  to 
ensure  correctness,  there  was  not  that  method  in  arrangement, 
that  perfect  neatness  and  that  regard  for  artistical  effect,  which 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  143 

one  always  likes  to  see  in  the  establishment  of  a  man  like  Laffay. 
The  French  are,  however,  universally  behind  the  English  in  this 
respect,  although  much  improvement  has  been  made  since  the 
abolition  of  the  Le  Notre  style  of  gardening,  and  the  introduction 
of  the  natural  style,  or  as  they  call  it,  the  "  Jardin  Anglaise." 
Many  of  Laffay's  fine  seedlings  were  injured  by  the  unprecedented 
cold  of  that  year,  but  sufficient  were  left  to  produce  some  fine 
varieties,  which  he  kindly  offered  to  send  us  from  year  to  year 
before  placing  them  in  commerce  at  home.  He  pursues  a  regular 
system  of  hybridizing,  and  it  is  probably  owing  to  his  care  in  this 
respect  that  his  success  has  been  so  far  beyond  that  of  other  cul- 
tivators. M.  Hardy,  the  director  of  the  Luxembourg  gardens,  has 
produced  some  fine  varieties,  but  as  we  conversed  with  him  only 
a  few  minutes,  amid  the  bnstle  of  a  horticultural  exhibition,  we 
could  not  obtain  from  him  much  information  respecting  his  modus 
operandi. 

In  Great  Britain,  although  comparatively  little  attention  has 
been  paid  to  the  obtaining  of  new  varieties,  the  culture  is  more 
careful  and  the  nomenclature  more  correct.  The  competition 
excited  by  their  numerous  horticultural  exhibitions,  causes  great 
attention  to  be  given  to  correct  nomenclature  and  to  symmetrical 
habit  of  growth.  We  can  imagine  nothing  more  beautiful  than 
some  of  the  plants  that  we  saw  at  the  exhibitions  of  the  London 
Horticultural  Society  at  Chiswick  j  every  plant  was  pruned,  trained 
and  grown,  after  an  ideal,  but  perfect  model,  with  its  close  and 
luxuriant  foliage,  its  thrifty,  symmetrical  habit,  and  the  thick, 
leathery  petals  of  its  well-cupped  flower.  This  high  standard 
should  be  introduced  into  every  society,  and  if  such  were  the  case 
in  this  country  and  the  rule  carefully  obeyed,  the  character  of  our 
exhibitions  would  in  a  short  time  be  very  materially  changed. 

T.  Rivers  is  esteemed  the  most  extensive  rose  cultivator  in 
England,  and  is  also  known  as  the  author  of  a  very  excellent 
descriptive  work  on  the  Rose.  He  has  also  been  successful  in 
hybridizing,  and  has  originated  some  very  fine  varieties.  His 
attention  was  at  one  time  directed  almost  exclusively  to  the  Rose, 
but  it  now  includes  many  other  nursery  articles,  and  on  our  visit 


144 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


to  him  in  1845,  we  found  him  much  interested  with  experiments  in 
fruit  culture.  Lane,  Wood,  and  Paul,  are  esteemed  very  good  cul- 
tivators, and  generally  correct  in  their  nomenclature.  From  these 
several  establishments  in  England  and  France  have  been  imported 
most  of  the  varieties  now  existing  in  this  country.  Their  trade 
with  the  United  States  is  however  comparatively  limited,  from 
the  great  risk  of  loss  by  a  sea-voyage.  We  have  frequently  lost 
in  this  way,  two-thirds  or  three-quarters  of  an  importation,  to  our 
great  annoyance  and  expense,  and  it  is  only  by  repeated  and  per- 
severing importations  that  we  have  been  able  to  obtain  all  the 
desirable  varieties. 

In  the  United  States  the  culture  of  the  Rose  has-been  very  much 
neglected,  until  within  a  few  years.  Tulips  and  dahlias  have 
successively  been  the  rage,  and  although  there  has  long  ex- 
isted a  great  variety  of  roses,  comparatively  few  of  them  have 
been  cultivated,  even  in  the  best  gardens  of  the  United  States. 
Now  the  tide  is  turning.  Dahlias  are  going  out  of  repute,  and 
the  Rose  is  resuming  its  ancient  empire  in  the  queendom  of 
Flora.  The  advent  of  the  Bourbon  and  the  Remontant,  or  Per- 
petual classes,  has  no  doubt  materially  aided  this  change,  but  it 
is  in  a  great  part  owing  to  the  easy  culture  of  the  plant,  and  the 
intrinsic  merits  and  beauty  of  the  flower.  The  taste  of  the  hor- 
ticultural public  being  thus  decidedly  for  the  Rose,  a  demand 
will  exist  for  all  the  information  respecting  soil,  planting,  culti- 
vating, &c.,  and  this  information  we  shall  endeavor  to  supply 
in  a  simple  and  concise  manner,  avoiding  as  far  as  possible  all 
technicalities,  and  adapting  it  to  the  use  of  the  cultivator  of  a 
single  plant  in  the  crowded  border  of  a  city  garden,  or  to  the 
more  extended  culture  of  a  commercial  establishment. 

Each  cultivator  has  his  peculiar  mode  of  doing  things,  and 
there  may  be  those  who  deem  the  mode  laid  down  here  inferior 
to  their  own.  From  these  we  should  be  glad  to  hear,  and  to 
make  any  corrections  they  may  suggest,  where  such  corrections 
appear  to  be  founded  upon  true  principles.  In  order  to  make  our 
work  as  perfect  as  possible,  we  have  not  hesitated  to  add  to  our 
own  experience,  all  the  information  derived  from  a  personal  in- 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  145 

spection  of  French  and  English  nurseries,  and  to  cull  from  foreign 
works  and  periodicals  all  that  may  interest  our  readers.  Such 
information,  as  far  as  it  coincides  with  our  own  experience,  we 
shall  gladly  incorporate,  with  the  hope  that  we  may  be  success- 
ful in  presenting  every  fact  of  interest  which  may  exist  respect- 
ing the  cultivation  of  our  favorite  flower. 

13 


CHAPTER    X. 


"V 


SOIL,  SITUATION  AND  PLANTING. 

HE  most  suitable  soil  is  a  strong,  rich  loam, 
or  vegetable  mould  mixed  with  about  one 
quarter  its  bulk  of  well-decomposed  stable 
manure.  If  the  soil  of  the  garden  where 
the  .roses  are  to  be  planted,  differs  materially 
from  this,  it  should  be  made  to  approach  it 
as  nearly  as  possible  by  the  addition  of  the 
requisite  soil  and  manure.  In  a  good  vegetable  garden,  the  soil, 
with  the  addition  of  a  little  manure,  will  grow  the  Rose  well; 
When  the  soil,  however,  is  of  an  inferior  character,  holes  should 
be  dug  three  or  four  times  the  size  of  the  roots  of  a  well-grown 
rose  bush  and  filled  with  compost  of  the  above  character. 

Rivers  recommends,  as  the  best  compost  for  roses,  rotten  dung 
and  pit-sand  for  cold,  clayey  soils ;  and  for  warm,  dry  soils,  rotten 
dung  and  cool  loams.  He  also  states  that  he  has  found  night 
soil,  mixed  with  the  drainings  of  the  dunghill,  or  even  with  com- 
mon ditch  or  pond  water,  so  as  to  make  a  thick  liquid,  the  best 
possible  manure  for  roses,  poured  on  the  surface  of  the  soil  twice 
in  winter — one  to  two  gallons  to  each  tree.  The  soil  need 
not  be  stirred  till  spring,  and  then  merely  loosened  two  or  three 
inches  deep,  with  the  prongs  of  a  fork :  for  poor  soil,  and  on  lawns, 
previously  removing  the  turf,  this  will  be  found  most  efficacious. 
He  directs  this  compost  to  be  applied  in  the  first  two  winter 
months,  but  as  our  ground  is  frequently  frozen  so  hard  at  that 
time  that  it  cannot  absorb  the  liquid,  it  would  probably  be 


CULTURE    OP    THE    ROSE.  147 


best  to  apply  it  in  this  country  a  month  earlier.  Where  a  bed  or 
border  of  roses  is  to  be  planted,  it  is  well  to  dig  out  the  soil  to  the 
depth  of  two  or  two  and  a  half  feet ;  fill  the  bottom  to  the  depth  of 
six  inches  with  small  stone,  and  then  replace  the  earth,  well  fertil- 
ized, as  directed  above.  Nothing  is  more  injurious  to  the  Rose 
than  a  wet,  retentive  subsoil ;  and  where  expense  and  trouble  are 
no  object,  this  perfect  draining  is  much  the  best  calculated  to  en- 
sure a  thrifty  growth  and  perfect  bloom.  A  rich  and  dry  soil,  is 
in  fact  all-important ;  for  otherwise  the  most  double  flower  will 
frequently  become  single  or  semi-double.  We  have  seen  a  plant 
of  La  Reine  produce  a  perfect  flower  in  the  green-house,  and  when 
removed  to  an  inferior  soil,  produce  flowers  almost  single.  It 
may  therefore  be  safely  laid  down  as  a  rule,  that  it  is  impossible 
to  make  the  soil  too  rich  for  the  Rose,  and  that  in  proportion  to 
the  fertilizing  matter  contained  therein,  provided  it  is  properly 
decomposed,  will  be  the  approximation  of  the  plant  and  the  flower 
to  perfection.  The  fertility  of  the  soil  may  be  very  much  assisted 
by  frequent  applications  of  liquid  manure,  made  either  of  cow 
dung  or  guano ;  the  former  is  always  safe ;  the  latter,  valuable 
if  properly  used,  may,  in  the  hands  of  a  careless  person,  ruin 
the  plant. 

In  these  remarks  on  fertility  of  soil,  we  have  no  desire  to  dis- 
courage those  who  may  not  have  a  fertile  soil,  or  the  means  of 
obtaining  the  elements  of  fertility.  The  Rose  will  grow  and  bloom 
in  any  soil ;  the  wood  will  be  healthy,  but  short  and  small ;  the 
flower  will  be  produced,  but  as  we  have  said  before,  will  be  smaller 
and  often  semi-double  ;  yet  even  under  these  disadvantages,  it  is 
still  the  most  desirable  flower  for  the  poor  man  ;  none  other  can 
so  cheaply  and  so  well  ornament  his  small  yard,  or  hanging  in 
graceful  festoons  about  his  windows,  shed  forth  its  bloom  and 
sweetness  to  enliven  his  hours  of  relief  from  labor,  and  give  his 
children  happiness,  from  the  association  of  pleasant  thought  with 
natural  beauty.  But  the  poor  man  has  within  his  reach  more 
than  he  supposes  of  the  elements  of  fertility.  The  ashes  of  his 
hearth,  the  decomposed  turf  of  the  road-side,  and  the  domestic 
manure,  too  generally  thrown  away,  all  contain  some  of  the  best 


148  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


fertilizing  matter,  and  with  proper  care,  could  be  made  amply 
sufficient  for  the  production  of  his  flowers  and  vegetables.  The 
decomposed  turf  alone  would  grow  roses  admirably,  although  a 
little  manure  would  be  a  useful  addition. 

SITUATION. 

The  best  situation  for  the  Rose  is  an  eastern  or  northern 
exposure,  rather  than  a  southern ;  the  intensity  of  the  heat  of 
our  midsummer  often  affects  injuriously  the  expansion  of  the 
flowers,  their  color  and  fragrance.  A  useful  degree  of  shade  can 
be  obtained  by  planting  amidst  groups  of  dwarf  roses,  pillars, 
trellises,  obelisks,  &c.,  on  which  climbing  roses  can  be  trained,  and 
whose  shadow,  changing  with  the  sun,  would  protect  the  opening 
bloom  and  answer  the  same  end  as  a  cool  situation.  While,  how- 
ever, the  Rose  requires  a  cool,  airy  situation,  it  should  by  no 
means  be  placed  entirely  in  the  shade  ;  a  portion  of  the  sun's  rays 
is  always  necessary  to  ensure  a  good  bloom.  It  is  from  this  cause 
that  the  bloom  of  roses  is  much  more  certain  and  perfect  in  France 
and  this  country  than  in  England.  In  the  latter  country,  the 
sun  is  scarcely  ever  sufficiently  powerful  to  develop  all  the  re- 
sources of  a  plant.  The  summer  of  1846  was  unprecedentedly  hot 
throughout  England,  and  all  the  horticultural  journals  united  in 
pronouncing  the  bloom  of  roses  that  season  unsurpassed  by  the 
bloom  of  any  previous  year.  For  climbing  roses  the  situation 
should  not  be  too  exposed,  or  where  they  would  be  liable  to  en- 
counter heavy  winds,  which  might  break  off  the  young  shoot  and 
in  other  ways  injure  the  plant.  Our  American  cities  possess  in  the 
culture  of  roses  a  great  advantage  over  the  large  towns  of  Eng- 
land, in  the  use  of  anthracite  instead  of  bituminous  coal ;  for, 
according  to  Loudon,  the  Rose  will  not  thrive  in  towns  where  the 
prevailing  fuel  is  of  this  character,  and  the  bloom  will  not  com- 
pare with  those  produced  some  ten  miles  distant.  "The  first 
effect  of  the  smoke  is  to  prevent  the  flower  buds  from  opening 
freely,  next  to  diminish  their  number ;  the  leaves  then  gradually 
become  smaller,  and  the  length  of  the  shoots  less,  after  which  the 
plant  weakens  by  degrees,  and  in  a  few  years,  if  a  standard,  it 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  149 

dies  altogether,  or,  if  a  dwarf,  barely  exists,  and  seldom  if  ever 
flowers." 

Such  a  result,  from  such  a  cause,  is  rarely  known  here,  arid 
the  denizen  of  the  city  may  have  his  little  yard  filled  with  roses 
whose  bloom  will  be  in  no  way  inferior  to  that  of  the  plants  in 
an  extensive  lawn  or  garden. 

PLANTING. 

All  those  roses  that  bloom  only  once  in  the  year,  and  also  the 
Perpetuals,  or  Remontant  Roses  can  be  planted  in  autumn,  after 
the  first  severe  frost.  The  ends  of  the  roots,  which  have  been 
broken  in  taking  up,  will  then  form  a  callus,  and  the  soil  will  be 
so  thoroughly  settled  about  the  roots  by  the  winter  rains,  that  the 
plant  will  commence  forming  new  roots  early  in  the  spring,  and 
will  rapidly  make  strong  and  luxuriant  shoots.  As  far  north  as 
New  York  and  its  vicinity,  the  Bourbons  and  the  Bengal,  with  their 
sub-classes,  being  more  delicate,  should  not  be  planted  until  spring. 

If  the  subs.oil  is  wet  and  retentive  of  moisture,  the  planting 
of  any  roses  should  be  deferred  until  spring,  but  from  our  pre- 
ceding remarks  it  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  such  soil  should  be 
well  drained  before  planting,  in  which  case  the  autumn  will  still 
answer. 

The  plant  should  be  taken  up  carefully,  with  all  the  root  pos- 
sible, bearing  in  mind  that  the  elements  of  life  are  in  the  root,  and 
every  fibre  that  is  lost  is  so  much  taken  from  the  future  health 
and  prosperity  of  the  plant.  The  root  should  then  be  carefully 
examined,  and  every  portion  that  has  been  bruised  should  be  cut 
off;  all  the  broken  ends  should  also  be  cut  away  as  far  as  they 
are  split  or  injured.  Any  root  of  the  character  of  a  tap-root,  or 
growing  directly  down  into  the  earth,  should  be  cut  off;  for  it  is 
best  to  encourage  only  lateral  roots,  which  can  more  readily  par- 
take of  the  benefits  of  the  rain  and  sun,  and  can  more  effectually 
absorb  the  nutriment  in  the  soil. 

The  hole  should  then  be  dug  somewhat  larger  than  the  root, 
and  the  bottom  forked,  or  dug  up,  and  if  necessary  enriched  with 
the  surface  soil,  which,  it  is  presumed,  has  been  prepared  accord 
ing  to  preceding  directions.     Let  one  hold  the  plant,  while  another 

13* 


150  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

throws  in  the  soil ;  or  if  one  alone  is  planting,  let  him  hold  the 
stern  just  above  the  root  with  one  hand,  and  throw  in  the  soil  with 
the  other,  moving  the  stem  from  side  to  side,  and  occasionally 
pulling  it  upward  a  little  and  shaking  the  root  until  the  soil  has 
worked  well  among  the  fibres  ;  on  which  much  of  the  subsequent 
prosperity  of  the  plant  depends.  If  the  weather  is  dry,  a  little 
water  may  be  placed  in  the  hole,  which  should  then  be  filled  up 
and  the  soil  well  trodden  down  about  the  stem.  When  planted, 
it  should  be  very  little  if  at  all  lower  in  the  ground  than  before  ; 
very  little  of  the  stem  should  be  buried  ;  and  when  trodden  down, 
the  root  should  be  made  firm  and  solid. 

In  planting  climbing  or  pillar  roses,  care  should  be  taken  to 
set  the  trellis,  or  pillar,  or  whatever  may  be  used  for  their  support 
before  the  plant  is  put  in  the  ground ;  for  if  such  should  be  set 
after  the  plant  has  commenced  growing  vigorously,  it  will  in  all 
probability  damage  the  roots,  and  give  the  plant  a  check  from 
which  it  will  not  recover  the  whole  season. 

The  Rose,  even  in  the  best  soils,  should  be  taken  up  every  three 
or  four  years,  and  have  its  roots  shortened  and  pruned ;  a  portion 
of  the  soil  in  which  it  grew  should  also  be  removed  and  replaced 
by  soil  of  the  character  before  described.  Where  the  soil  is  poor, 
they  should  be  taken  up  every  other  year,  and  replanted,  after 
renewing  the  soil  as  above,  or  digging  it  with  plenty  of  manure. 

Van  Mons  states  that  in  Belgium  the  plants  are  uniformly 
taken  up  at  the  end  of  eight  years  and  placed  in  fresh  soil,  or 
they  are  thrown  away  and  young  plants  substituted  in  their  place. 
This  substitution  of  young  plants  is  perhaps  the  most  certain 
mode  of  ensuring  a  continual  supply  of  strong,  healthy  wood  and 
well-formed  flowers. 

The  Rose  may  be  transplanted  at  any  season,  provided  the 
shoots  are  pruned  closely  and  deprived  of  all  their  leaves,  and 
the  soil  in  which  they  are  planted  kept  well  watered.  The  flow- 
ering also  may  be  retarded  in  this  way,  and  those  roses  that  bloom 
only  once  in  the  season,  if  they  are  transplanted  just  before 
they  are  coming  into  flower,  and  properly  pruned,  will  bloom  in 
autumn. 


CHAPTER    XL 


PRUNING  AND  TRAINING. 

N  pruning  roses  at  the  time  of  transplanting1, 
the  principal  object  to  be  attained  is  relief  to 
the  plant  by  taking  away  all  the  wood  and 
branches  which  the  diminished  root  may  not 
be  able  to  support.  The  mode  of  pruning  de- 
pends very  much  upon  the  condition  of  the  plant. 
If  it  is  very  bushy,  all  the  weaker  branches 
should  be  cut  away,  leaving  not  more  than  three  or  four  of  the 
strongest  shoots,  and  shortening  even  tho£e  down  to  a  few  eyes. 
If  it  is  desired  that  the  plant  should  continue  dwarf  and  bushy, 
the  new  wood  should  be  cut  down  to  the  last  two  eyes,  and  every 
half  grown  or  slender  shoot  cut  out.  These  two  eyes  will  each 
throw  out  a  branch ;  then  cut  these  branches  down  to  the  two 
eyes  and  again  their  produce  until  a  symmetrical  habit  is  formed, 
with  close,  thick  foliage.  There  should  not  be  sufficient  wood 
allowed  to  remain  to  make  it  crowded ;  and  if  there  should  be 
danger  of  this,  some  of  the  branches,  instead  of  being  cut  down 
to  two  eyes  should  be  cut  out  altogether. 

Climbing  roses,  when  planted,  should  be  cut  down  almost  to 
the  ground,  and  also  carefully  thinned  out.  Only  a  few  of  the 
strongest  branches  should  be  preserved,  and  the  new  wood  of  these 
cut  down  to  two  eyes  each. 


152  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


The  preceding  remarks  are  applicable  to  roses  at  the  time  of 
planting ;  they  should  also  be  pruned  every  year — the  hardy 
varieties  in  the  autumn  or  winter,  and  the  more  tender  in  the 
spring.  For  all  roses  that  are  not  liable  to  have  part  of  their 
wood  killed  by  the  cold,  the  autumn  is  decidedly  the  best  time, 
for  pruning ;  the  root,  having  then  but  little  top  to  support,  is  left 
at  liberty  to  store  up  nutriment  for  a  strong  growth  the  following 
season.  The  principal  objects  in  priming,  are  the  removal  of  the 
old  wood,  because  it  is  generally  only  the  young  wood  that  pro- 
duces large  and  fine  flowers ;  the  shortening  and  thinning  out 
of  the  young  wood,  that  the  root,  having  much  less  wood  to  sup- 
port, may  devote  all  its  nutriment  to  the  size  and  beauty  of  the 
flower ;  and  the  formation  of  a  symmetrical  shape.  If  an  abund- 
ant bloom  is  desired  without  regard  to  the  size  of  the  flower, 
only  the  weak  shoots  should  be  cut  out,  and  the  strong  wood 
should  be  shortened  very  little  ;  each  bud  will  then  produce  a 
flower.  By  this  mode,  the  flowers  will  be  small  and  the  growth 
of  new  wood  very  short,  but  there  will  be  an  abundant  and  very 
showy  bloom.  If,  however,  the  flowers  are  desired  as  large  and 
as  perfect  as  possible,  all  the  weak  wood  should  be  cut  out  en- 
tirely, and  all  the  strong  wood  of  the  last  season's  formation 
should  be  cut  down  to  two  eyes.  The  knife  should  always  be 
applied  directly  above  a  bud  and  sloping  upward  from  it.  The 
preceding  observations  apply  principally  to  rose  bushes  or  dwarf 
roses  ;  with  pillar,  climbing  and  tree  roses,  the  practice  should  be 
somewhat  different.  The  two  former  require  comparatively  little 
pruning ;  they  require  careful  thinning  out,  but  should  seldom 
be  shortened.  The  very  young  side  shoots  can  sometimes  be 
shortened  in,  to  prevent  the  foliage  from  becoming  too  thick  and 
crowded. 

PILLARS  FOR  ROSES  can  be  made  of  trellis  work,  of  iron  rods 
in  different  forms,  or  of  wood,  but  they  should  enclose  a  space  of 
at  least  a  foot  in  diameter.  The  cheapest  plan,  and  one  that  will 
last  many  years,  is  to  make  posts  of  about  l|  or  2  inches  square, 
out  of  locust  or  pitch-pine  plank,  and  connect  them  with  common 
hoop-iron.  They  should  be  the  length  of  a  plank — between 


CULTURE    OP    THE    ROSE.  153 

twelve  and  thirteen  feet — and  should  be  set  three  feet  in  the 
ground,  that  they  may  effectually  resist  the  action  of  the  wind. 
The  Rose  having  been  cut  down  to  the  ground,  is  planted  inside 
of  the  pillar  and  will  make  strong  growths  the  first  season.  As 
the  leading  shoots  appear,  they  should  be  trained  spirally  around 
the  outside  of  the  pillar,  and  sufficiently  near  each  other  to  enable 
them  to  fill  up  the  intermediate  space  with  their  foliage.  These 
leading  shoots  will  then  form  the  permanent  wood,  and  the  young 
sicte  shoots,  pruned  in  from  year  to  year,  will  produce  the  flowers, 
and  at  the  flowering  season  cover  the  whole  pillar  with  a  mass 
of  rich  and  showy  bloom.  If  the  tops  of  the  leading  shoots  lie 
down  at  all,  they-  should  be  shortened  down  to  the  first  strong 
eye,  because,  if  a  weak  bud  is  left  at  the  top,  its  growth  will  be 
for  a  long  time  weak.  The  growth  of  different  varieties  of  roses 
is  very  varied ;  some  make  delicate  shoots  and  require  little  room, 
while  others,  like  the  Q,ueen  of  the  Prairies,  are  exceedingly  ro- 
bust and  may  require  a  larger  pillar  than  the  size  we  have  men- 
tioned. 

Climbing  roses  require  very  much  the  same  treatment  as  pillar 
roses,  and  are  frequently  trained  over  arches,  or  in  festoons  from 
one  pillar  to  another.  In  these  the  weak  branches  should  also 
be  thinned  out  and  the  strong  ones  be  allowed  to  remain  without 
being  shortened,  as  in  these  an  abundant  bloom  is  wanted  more 
than  large  flowers.  In  training  climbing  roses  over  any  flat  sur- 
face, as  a  trellis  wall  or  side  of  a  house,  the  principal  point  is  so 
to  place  the  leading  shoots  that  all  the  intermediate  space  may 
be  filled  up  with  foliage.  They  can  either  be  trained  in  fan-shape 
with  side  shoots  growing  out  from  a  main  stem,  or  one  leading 
shoot  can  be  encouraged  and  trained  in  parallel  horizontal  lines 
to  the  top,  care  being  taken  to  preserve  sufficient  intermediate 
space  for  the  foliage.  Where  no  shoots  are  wanted,  the  buds  can 
be  rubbed  off  before  they  push  out.  No  weak  shoots  should  be 
allowed  to  grow  from  the  bottom,  but  all  the  strong  ones  should 
be  allowed  to  grow  as  much  as  they  may.  When  the  interme- 
diate space  is  filled  with  young  wood  and  foliage,  all  the  thin, 
small  shoots  should  be  cut  out  every  year  and  the  strongest  buds 


154  CULTURE    OF    THE   ROSE. 

only  allowed  to  remain,  which  forming  strong  branches,  will  set 
closely  to  the  wall  and  preserve  a  neat  appearance. 

The  production  of  roses  out  of  season,  by  forcing,  was,  as  we 
have  shown,  well  known  to  the  ancient  Romans,  and  from  them 
has  been  handed  down  to  the  present  time.  But,  the  retarding 
of  roses  by  means  of  a  regular  process  of  pruning,  owes  its  origin 
to  a  comparatively  modern  date.  This  process  is  mentioned  both 
by  Lord  Bacon  and  Sir  Robert  Boyle.  The  latter  says,  "  It  is 
delivered  by  the  Lord  Verulam,  and  other  naturalists,  that  if  a 
rose  bush  be  carefully  cut  as  soon  as  it  is  done  bearing  in  the 
summer,  it  will  again  bear  roses  in  the  autumn.  Of  this  many 
have  made  unsuccessful  trials,  and  thereupon  report  the  affirma- 
tion to  be  false ;  yet  I  am  very  apt  to  think,  that  my  lord  was 
encouraged  by  experience  to  write  as  he  did.  For,  having  been 
particularly  solicitous  about  the  experiment,  I  find  by  the  relation, 
both  of  my  own,  and  other  experienced  gardeners,  that  this  way 
of  procuring  autumnal  roses,  will,  in  most  rose-bushes,  commonly 
fail,  but  succeed  in  some  that  are  good  bearers  ;  and,  accordingly, 
having  this  summer  made  trial* of  it,  I  find  that  of  a  row  of 
bushes  cut  in  June,  by  far  the  greater  number  promise  no 
autumnal  roses ;  but  one  that  hath  manifested  itself  to  be  of  a 
vigorous  and  prolific  nature,  is,  at  this  present,  indifferently  well- 
stored  with  those  of  the  damask  kind.  There  may,  also,  be  a 
mistake  in  the  species  of  roses ;  for  experienced  gardeners  inform 
me  that  the  Musk-Rose  will,  if  it  be  a  lusty  plant,  bear  flowers 
in  autumn  without  cutting ;  and,  therefore,  that  may  unjustly 
be  ascribed  to  art,  which  is  the  bare  production  of  nature." 
Thus,  in  quaint  and  ancient  style,  discourseth  the  wise  and  pious 
philosopher,  on  our  favorite  flower,  and  also  mentions  the  fact, 
that  a  red  rose  becomes  white,  on  being  exposed  to  the  fumes  of 
sulphur.  This,  however,  had  been  observed  before  Sir  Robert's 
time.  Notwithstanding  his  doubts,  it  is  now  a  well-established  fact, 
that  the  blooming  of  roses  may  be  retarded  by  cutting  them  back 
to  two  eyes  after  they  have  fairly  commenced  growing,  and  the 
flower  buds  are  discoverable.  A  constant  succession  can  be  ob- 
tained, where  there  is  a  number  of  plants,  by  cutting  each  one 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  155 

back  a  shorter  or  longer  distance,  or  at  various  periods  of  its 
growth.  In  these  cases,  however,  it  very  often'  will  not  bloom 
until  autumn,  because  the  second  effort  to  produce  flowers  is 
much  greater  than  the  first,  and  is  not  attended  with  success 
until  late  in  the  season. 

However  desirable  may  be  this  retarding  process,  it  cannot  be 
relied  on  as  a  general  practice,  because  the  very  unusual  exertion 
made  to  produce  the  flowers  a  second  time,  weakens  the  plant, 
and  materially  affects  its  prosperity  the  subsequent  year, 

There  is,  indeed,  but  one  kind  of  summer  pruning  that  is  ad- 
vantageous, which  is  the  thinning  out  of  the  flower-buds  as  soon 
as  they  appear,  in  order  that  the  plant  may  be  burdened  with  no 
more  than  it  can  fully  perfect,  and  the  cutting  off  all  the  seed 
vessels  after  the  flower  has  expanded  and  the  petals  have  fallen. 
Until  this  last  is  done,  a  second  bloom  cannot  readily  be  obtained 
from  the  Bengal  Rose  and  its  sub-classes,  the  Tea  and  Noisette, 
which  otherwise  grow  and  bloom  constantly  throughout  the 
season. 

In  connection  with  the  subject  of  this  chapter,  we  would  im- 
press upon  our  readers  the  absolute,  the  essential  importance  of 
cultivation — of  constantly  stirring  the  soil  in  which  the  Rose  is 
planted  ;  and  we  scarcely  know  of  more  comprehensive  directions 
in  a  few  words  than  the  reply  of  an  experienced  horticulturist  to 
one  who  asked  the  best  mode  of  growing  fine  fruits  and  flowers. 
The  old  gentleman  replied  that  the  mode  could  be  described  in 
three  words,  "cultivate,  cultivate,  cultivate."  After  the  same 
manner,  we  would  impress  the  importance  of  these  three  words 
upon  all  those  who  love  well-grown  and  beautiful  roses.  Tliey 
are  indeed  multum  in  parvo — the  very  essence  of  successful 
culture.  The  soil  cannot  be  ploughed,  dug  or  stirred  too  much ; 
it  should  be  dug  and  hoed,  not  merely  to  keep  down  the  weeds, 
but  to  ensure  the  health  and  prosperity  of  the  plant.  Cultivation 
is  to  all  plants  and  trees,  manure,  sun  and  rain.  It  opens  the 
soil  to  the  nutritious  gas  of  the  atmosphere,  to  the  beneficial 
influence  of  light,  and  to  the  morning  and  evening  dew.  It 
makes  the  heavy  soil  light  and  the  light  soil  heavy ;  if  the  earth 


156  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

is  saturated  with  rain,  it  dries  it  ;  if  burned  up  with  drought,  it 
moistens  it.  Watering  is  often  beneficial,  and  is  particularly  so 
to  roses  just  before  and  during  the  period  of  bloom ;  but  in  an 
extremely  dry  season,  if  we  were  obliged  to  choose  between  the 
watering-pot  and  the  spade,  we  should  most  unhesitatingly  give 
the  preference  to  the  latter. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


POTTING  AND  FORCING. 

"  Seek  Roses  in  December,  ice  in  June."— BYRON. 

VERY  variety  of  Rose,  in  the  hands  of  a 
skilful  man,  will  grow  and  bloom  well  in 
pots,  although  the  Bengal  and  its  sub- 
classes, and  the  more  dwarf  Hardy  Roses 
are  the  most  easily  managed.  The  great 
point  in  potting  is  to  imitate  planting  in 
the  open  ground  as  nearly  as  possible. 
The  soil  used  should  possess  all  the  nutritious  elements  re- 
quired in  the  open  ground,  and  if  possible  in  somewhat 
greater  abundance.  More  manure  should  be  used,  because 
the  frequent  watering  required  by  plants  in  pots  must  in- 
evitably wash  away  a  portion  of  the  fertilizing  matter.  There 
is  nothing  better  than  one  portion  of  stable  manure  and  three 
of  turf  or  leaf-mould,  all  well  decomposed  and  mixed  with  a 
little  pure  peat  earth.  A  portion  of  night-soil,  well  incorporated 
with  charcoal,  is  also  very  excellent.  Charcoal  is  the  most  pow- 
erful absorbent  known — it  retains  the  nutritious  elements  in  the 
night-soil,  prevents  ^heir  being  washed  away  by  watering,  and 
gives  them  out  as  the  plant  needs  them.  English  gardeners 
should  bear  in  mind,  that  roses  require  in  this  climate  a  stronger 
soil  than  in  England.  Half-gallon  pots  are  the  best  size  at  first, 
from  which,  by  repeated  pottings,  corresponding  with  the  growth 
of  the  plant,  they  can  be  shifted  to  one  or  two  gallon  pots.  The 

14 


158  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

size  of  the  pots  should,  however,  be  regulated  by  the  extent  of 
the  roots  ;  it  should  be  just  sufficiently  large  to  allow  the  roots 
to  go  in  without  crowding.  A  few  broken  pieces  of  pot  or  small 
lumps  should  be  put  in  the  bottom  for  drainage.  When  the 
plant  is  to  be  taken  from  the  open  ground,  select  one  whose  roots 
are  not  too  large,  and  with  a  sharp  spade  cut  around  it  a  ball  of 
earth  about  the  size  of  the  pot,  depriving  it  at  the  same  time  of  a 
portion  of  its  top,  as  directed  in  remarks  on  pruning.  It  should 
stand  in  this  state  about  a  fortnight,  until  the  roots  have  become 
callused,  and  the  plant  has  become  somewhat  accustomed  to  the 
loss  of  its  roots  and  branches.  It  can  then  be  safely  taken  up  at 
any  season  and  transferred  to  the  pot,  which  should  then  be 
filled  in  with  earth,  firm  and  solid.  If  potted  in  the  autumn,  after 
the  leaves  have  fallen  and  the  wood  become  mature,  the  above 
previous  preparation  is  not  required,  but  the  plant  can  be  taken 
up  without  a  ball  of  earth,  and  after  being  pruned  of  its  bruised 
or  broken  roots,  placed  in  the  pot.  It  should  then  be  protected 
from  the  frost  and  light  until  it  has  entirely  recovered  from  its 
change  of  habitation,  when  it  can  be  placed  in  any  cool  spot  free 
from  frost,  until  it  is  wanted  for  forcing. 

Roses  may,  without  difficulty,  by  the  above  previous  man- 
agement, be  forced  to  bloom  in  the  latter  part  of  winter,  but 
where  their  bloom  is  desired  at  Christmas  or  New- Year,  they 
should  be  gradually  prepared  for  the  space  of  a  year  previous. 
To  produce  roses  the  latter  part  of  winter,  our  own  management 
has  been  simple  and  effective,  giving  us  as  many  flowers  as  a 
green-house  and  vinery  full  of  pots  could  afford.  After  putting 
the  plants  in  pots  as  directed  above,  pruning  them  down  to  eight 
or  ten  buds,  and  hardening  them  in  a  shady  place,  they  are  placed 
in  the  vinery  before  the  frost  out  of  doors  can  have  injured  them, 
and  cut  down  to  two  buds.  The  house  is  then  kept  as  cool  as 
possible,  while  the  frost  is  carefully  excluded  by  a  light  fire  at 
night,  and  on  fine  days  the  sashes  are  opened  and  plenty  of  air 
admitted.  They  are  thus  kept  in  a  dormant  state  until  the  first 
of  the  year,  when  the  heat  is  gradually  increased  to  about  70°  by 
day  and  sinking  as  low  as  35°  at  night.  Care  is  taken  to  give 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  159 

them  sufficient  watering,  and  in  their  whole  management,  to 
assimilate  as  nearly  as  possible  to  open  culture.  When  the  green- 
fly appears,  it  is  immediately  destroyed  by  fumigation  with  to- 
bacco and  sulphur,  and  the  plants  are  subsequently  syringed  with 
clean  water.  With  this  management  they  soon  begin  to  show 
signs  of  life,  the  bud  commences  pushing  forth  its  delicate,  light 
green  shoot,  the  leaves  then  appear,  the  plant  soon  growing  with 
luxuriance,  is  clothed  with  rich  foliage,  and  about  the  middle  of 
.the  third  month,  the  house  presents  a  mass  of  thrifty  growth  and 
perfect  bloom. 

By  the  means  above  described,  roses  may  be  forced  into  bloom 
the  latter  part  of  winter,  and  by  observing  some  care  to  bring 
them  into  the  house  at  different  periods  in  regular  succession,  a 
bloom  can  be  enjoyed  through  all  the  spring  months  until  roses 
bloom  in  the  open  ground.  This  process  cannot,  however,  be 
continued  two  years  in  succession  without  weakening  the  plant, 
and  although,  if  placed  in  a  shady  spot  and  allowed  to  rest  during 
the  summer,  it  may  sufficiently  recover  to  perform  the  same 
work  another  year,  it  is  desirable,  if  possible,  to  have  fresh  plants 
whose  strength  has  not  been  exhausted  by  the  excitement  and 
unusual  effort  attending  the  production  of  flowers  out  of  season. 

The  preceding  directions  apply  more  particularly  to  late 
forcing,  and  although  the  same  means,  with  an  earlier  application 
of  heat,  will  produce  flowers  early  in  winter,  yet  the  true  art  of 
early  forcing  consists  in  gradually  bringing  the  Rose  out  of  its 
season ;  and  it  is  only  by  this  mode  that  thrifty  plants  and  perfect 
flowers  can  be  produced  before  Christmas. 

Two  years,  and  sometimes  three,  should  be  employed  inprepar- 
ing  a  Rose  for  early  forcing.  Having  been  prepared  by  digging 
around  it  with  a  sharp  spade  some  two  weeks  previously,  the 
plant  should  be  taken  up  immediately  after  the  first  frost,  placed 
in  a  cold  frame  a  few  days  to  harden,  and  then  taken  to  the  green- 
house or  vinery.  A  moderate  heat  should  then  be  given  it,  with 
plenty  of  light  and  air  to  prevent  its  being  drawn.  The  flower- 
buds  should  be  plucked  off  as  soon  as  they  appear,  and  no  bloom 


160  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

should  be  allowed.  It  will  thus  make  fine  growths,  and  can  be 
plunged  in  the  open  ground  as  soon  as  danger  of  frost  has  passed 
in  the  spring.  Here  it  can  remain  during  the  summer  to  ripen 
its  wood,  and  will  require  no  care  except  a  little  watering  in  dry 
weathei-j  and  an  occasional  taking  up  and  examination  that  the 
roots  may  not  push  through  the  hole  of  the  pot  and  become  fixed 
in  the  ground,  in  which  case  the  plants  would  make  too  strong 
growths,  and  suffer  on  being  removed  from  the  new-made  root. 
In  the  tenth  month  (October)  it  can  be  placed  in  a  pot  one  size 
larger,  pruned  by  thinning  out  all  the  weak  branches  and  shorten- 
ing the  strong  ones  down  to  two  eyes.  It  should  then  go  through 
the  same  process  as  before,  carefully  picking  off  all  the  flower-buds, 
promoting  its  growth  until  completed,  when  let  it  be  put  in  a 
cold  frame  until  all  danger  of  frost  is  over,  and  then  plunge  it  in 
the  ground  to  ripen  its  wood.  As  its  vegetation  was  started  a 
month  earlier  the  last  year,  it  can  now  be  taken  up  in  the  ninth 
month — re-potted  and  pruned  as  before,  and  then  taken  into  the 
green-house.  The  temperature  should  then  be  gradually  raised 
to  about  55°  until  it  has  commenced  growing,  and  then  gradually 
increased  to  65°  or  70°,  giving  as  much  air  as  can  be  obtained 
without  lowering  the  temperature. 

All  useless  shoots  should  be  kept  down,  and  all  the  flower-buds 
taken  off  that  threaten  to  be  abortive.  In  fumigating  for  the 
green-fly,  care  should  be  taken  not  to  do  it  too  strongly,  but  re- 
peated and  gentle  doses  at  night  are  better.  We  have  known 
many  fine  plants  ruined  by  fumigation  in  the  hands  of  an  inex- 
perienced person.  A  good  bloom  can  be  obtained  the  second  year 
by  this  mode,  but  if  the  amateur  has  the  patience  to  wait  until 
a  third,  he  will  be  rewarded  by  a  thrifty  and  compact  habit,  rich 
foliage,  and  beautiful  bloom  for  two  months  before  Christmas  ; 
and  if  there  are  a  number  of  plants  to  be  brought  into  the  green- 
house a  week  after  each  other,  he  can  have  them  in  bloom  until 
the  late  forced  roses  appear.  At  all  periods  subsequent  to  their 
commencement,  care  should  be  taken  to  give  them  sufficient 
moisture  and  as  much  air  as  is  consistent  with  the  state  of  growth 
and  the  external  temperature.  Without  water  they  will  neither 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  161 

grow  nor  bloom  well.     Under  glass,  every  other  day,  and  in  some 
cases  twice  a  week  is  sufficient. 

The  great  principle  to  be  borne  in  mind  in  forcing  roses,  is,  that 
sudden  excitement  is  fatal,  and  that  a  plant  should  never  be 
taken  from  the  open  ground  into  a  heated  house  without  being 
gradually  prepared  for  it.  This  principle  is  particularly  applica- 
ble to  deciduous  roses.  The  Remontant  and  Bourbon,  the  Bengal 
and  its  sub-classes,  which  grow  and  bloom  through  the  whole 
year,  are  not  so  liable  to  be  injured  by  exciting  treatment. 

Cuttings  of  these  that  are  struck  in  the  spring  and  planted  out 
in  the  open  ground,  may  have  their  tops  slightly  pruned  and 
their  buds  all  pinched  off  during  the  summer,  to  encourage  the 
formation  of  wood  and  of  a  close  head. 

About  the  last  days  of  summer  or  the  first  of  autumn,  they 
can  be  taken  up  and  placed  in  quart  pots,  with  a  soil  com- 
posed of  one  half  loam,  one  quarter  cow-dung,  and  one  quarter 
peat.  After  being  slightly  pruned  and  left  in  the  shade  for  a 
week,  they  can  be  placed  in  frames,  protected  at  night  from  frost 
and  exposed  to  the  air  in  mild  weather,  for  some  two  months, 
when  they  can  be  removed,  a  few  at  a  time,  into  the  green-house, 
and  subjected  to  a  moderately  increased  temperature.  They  will 
soon  bloom  well,  and  will  succeed  each  other  throughout  the 
winter  and  spring,  until  roses  bloom  in  the  open  air.  Like  the 
deciduous  roses,  they  require  to  be  protected  against  the  green-fly 
by  syringing,  and  if  that  does  not  answer,  by  fumigation  with 
tobacco. 

The  Bengal,  however,  like  the  deciduous  roses  will  bloom  bet- 
ter the  second  winter  than  the  first,  by  shifting  them  into  larger 
pots,  pruning  them,  cutting  off  all  the  flower-buds,  and  giving  them 
very  little  water  the  latter  part  of  summer.  They  can  then 
be  put  into  the  frames  and  treated  as  before.  The  Bengal  Rose 
is  very  easily  forced  in  this  way,  and  if  the  temperature  is  at  first 
kept  during  the  day  at  45°  and  gradually  increased  to  60°,  there 
can  be  little  difficulty  in  obtaining  beautiful  and  healthy  plants. 
This  temperature  can  be  obtained  in  any  green-house  or  vinery. 
The  latter  are  becoming  more  common,  and  when  they  are  pro- 

14* 


162  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

vided  with  heating  apparatus,  there  can  be  nothing1  better  for 
roses.  We  have  forced  them  very  successfully  in  one  of  our  own 
vineries,  which  is  120  feet  long,  12  feet  wide,  10  feet  high  in  the 
rear,  3£  in  front,  and  heated  by  hot  water.  But  as  there  may  be 
many  who  desire  a  cheaper  structure,  we  will  give  the  description 
of  one  used  by  Rivers  (the  best  rose-grower  known),  with  his 
mode  of  managing  roses  in  a  structure  of  that  character.  "  A  pit, 
10  or  12  feet  long  and  8  feet  wide,  just  high  enough  to  stand  up- 
right in,  with  a  door  at  one  end  and  a  sunken  path  in  the  centre,  a 
raised  bed  on  each  side  of  the  path,  and  an  18-inch  Arnott's  stove 
at  the  farther  end,  opposite  to  the  door,  with  a  pipe  leading  into  a 
small  brick  chimney  outside  (a  chimney  is  indispensable),  will 
give  a  great  abundance  of  forced  roses  from  February  to  the  end 
of  May.  To  ensure  this,  a  supply  must  be  kept  ready,  so  that, 
say  twenty  may  be  placed  in  the  forcing  pit  about  the  middle  of 
December,  a  like  number  in  the  middle  of  January,  and  the  same 
about  the  middle  of  February ;  they  must  not  be  pruned  till  taken 
into  the  house,  when  each  shoot  should  be  cut  back  to  two  or 
three  buds  for  the  formation  of  strong  shoots.  The  fire  should  be 
lighted  at  seven  in  the  morning,  and  suffered  to  burn  out  about 
the  same  hour  in  the  evening,  unless  in  frosty  weather,  when  it 
must  be  kept  burning  till  late  at  night,  so  as  to  exclude  the  frost ; 
and  for  this  purpose  double  mats  should  be  placed  on  the  lights. 
The  thermometer  should  not,  by  fire  heat,  be  higher  in  the  day 
than  70°  during  December,  January  and  February ;  at  night  it 
may  sink  to  35°  without  injury.  The  temporary  rise  in  a  sunny 
day  is  of  no  consequence,  but  no  air  must  be  admitted  at  such 
times,  or  the  plants  will  exhaust  themselves,  and  immediately 
shed  their  leaves.  When  the  sun  begins  to  have  power,  and  in 
sunny  weather  toward  the  end  of  February,  the  plants  may  be 
syringed  every  morning  about  10  o'clock  with  tepid  water,  and 
smoked  with  tobacco  at  night  on  the  least  appearance  of  the 
Aphis  or  green-fly.  To  ensure  a  fine  and  full  crop  of  flowers,  the 
plants  should  be  established  one  year  in  pots,  and  plunged  in  tan 
or  saw-dust,  in  an  open,  exposed  place,  that  their  shoots  may  be 
well  ripened :  the  pots  must  be  often  removed,  or  what  is  better. 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  163 

place  the  pots  on  slates  to  prevent  their  roots  striking  into  the 
ground.  With  the  Remontant  or  Perpetuals,  even  if  only  potted 
in  November  previous,  a  very  good  crop  of  flowers  may  often  be 
obtained,  and  a  second  crop  better  than  the  first ;  for  the  great 
advantage  of  forcing  Remontant  roses  is,  that  after  blooming  in 
the  green-house  or  drawing-room,  their  young  shoots  may  be  cut 
down  to  witnin  two  or  three  buds  of  their  base,  and  the  plants 
placed  again  in  the  forcing-house,  and  a  second  crop  of  flowers 
obtained.  The  same  mode  may  be  followed  also  with  the  Bour- 
bon, China,  and  Tea-scented  roses ;  with  the  latter,  indeed,  a 
third  crop  may  be  often  obtained.  Toward  the  end  of  March, 
when  the  second  crop  of  flowers  is  coming  on,  the  plants  may  be 
gradually  inured  to  the  air,  by  opening  the  sashes  in  mild 
weather.  This  will  make  them  hardy  and  robust.  Syringing 
should  be  practised  every  morning  and  evening ;  but  when  the 
flower-buds  are  ready  to  open,  this  must  be  confined  to  the  stems 
of  the  plants  and  the  pots,  otherwise  the  flowers  will  be  injured 
by  the  moisture.  Air  must  at  first  only  be  given  about  noon  ; 
care  must  be  taken  to  remove  the  plants  from  the  forcing-house 
to  the  green-house  or  drawing-room  before  their  blossoms  expand  ; 
they  may  then  be  kept  in  beauty  many  days.  We  have  not  found 
the  check  which  the  plants  receive  by  this  sudden  change  of  tem- 
perature at  all  detrimental.  During  their  second  growth,  the 
plants  should  be  watered  once  a  week  with  manure-water,  and 
the  surface  of  the  pot  occasionally  stirred.  Two  pounds  of  guano 
to  ten  gallons  of  water,  forms  the  very  best  species  of  liquid  ma- 
nure ;  this  should  be  stirred  before  it  .is  used. 

"Those  that  are  forced  with  the  greatest  facility  are  worked 
roses ;  these  seldom  or  never  fail  to  give  an  abundant  crop  of 
flowers.  Stems  from  six  inches  to  one  and  a  half  and  two  feet 
are  equally  eligible ;  the  latter  form  elegant  plants,  and  I  think 
generally  grow  with  greater  luxuriance  than  dwarfs.  China  and 
Tea-scented  roses  on  their  own  roots  are  more  delicate,  and  re- 
quire more  care ;  still  one  crop  of  flowers  may  always  be  de- 
pended upon,  even  from  them.  Instead  of  forcing  them  for  a  sec- 
ond crop,  it  will  be  better  to  place  them  in  the  green-house  ;  they 


164 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


will  then  bloom  again  finely  in  May.  I  find,  from  experience, 
that  all  the  autumnal  roses  may  be  forced  every  year  without  any 
disadvantages  ;  to  ensure  their  well-doing,  they  must  be  removed 
from  the  forcing-house  early  in  June,  the  surface  of  the  pots 
dressed  with  rotten  manure  and  plunged  in  the  same,  or  leaves, 
or  any  light  substance.  Toward  the  end  of  September,  they 
should  be  carefully  shifted,  removing  nearly  all  the'  earth  from 
their  roots  into  a  compost  of  light  loam  and  rotten  dung,  equal 
quantities  (this  is,  on  the  whole,  the  very  best  compost  for  potted 
roses),  watered,  and  again  plunged  till  required  for  forcing.  This 
shifting  would  be  better  performed  in  June,  but,  as  the  weather 
is  then  hot  and  dry,  roses  worked  on  the  Dog-Rose  are  apt  to 
suffer.  Pots  of  the  sizes  called  near  London,  24s  and  16s  (the 
former  seven  and  a  half  inches  deep  and  eight  inches  over  at  the 
top,  the  latter  eight  and  a  half  inches  deep  and  nine  inches  in 
diameter),  are  the  best  sizes  for  strong  plants  of  roses  for  forcing. 
When  potted,  the  large  and  unyielding  roots  should  be  cut  off 
close,  so  that  the  plants  may  stand  in  the  centre  of  the  pots,  the 
fibrous  and  small  roots  merely  tipped. 

"  The  treatment  recommended  for  roses  in  a  pit  with  Arnott's 
stove,  may  be  pursued  with  roses  in  a  house  with  smoke-flues  or 
hot-water  pipes.  Arnott's  stove  is  recommended  as  an  economical 
and  eligible  mode  of  heating,  practised  here  to  some  extent  with 
success  for  several  years.  On  these  stoves  an  iron  pan,  fitted  to 
the  top,  should  always  be  kept  full  of  water.  Roses  may  be  forced 
slowly,  but  writh  perhaps  greater  certainty,  by  the  uninitiated,  by 
giving  air  freely  and  constantly  in  mild  weather  during  the  day, 
keeping  the  fire  constantly  burning  during  the  same  period,  as 
recommended  when  keeping  them  closely  shut  up." 

We  have  copied  the  whole  of  this  article,  although  in  a  meas- 
ure a  repetition  of  previous  remarks,  since  it  may  be  interesting 
to  some  to  know  the  opinion  of  so  eminent  a  cultivator,  on  this 
least  understood  branch  of  rose  culture.  A  few  of  his  directions 
are  somewhat  different  from  those  we  have  given  before,  and  may 
be  far  better  than  our  own  plan,  in  the  climate  of  England. 
Here,  an  Arnott's  stove  would  scarcely  heat  a  pit  to  70°  with  the 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  165 

thermometer  at  zero ;  and  if  it  should,  we  would  think  it  rather 
dangerous  to  give  so  high  a  temperature  at  once.  The  strength 
of  guano  is  also  so  varied,  that  we  should  feel  very  cautious  in 
using  it  according  to  the  above  receipt.  While,  however,  we 
would  not  venture  to  question  the  general  utility  of  his  directions, 
we  may  perhaps  say,  that  we  have  found  our  own  plan  effective 
in  its  results,  and  productive  of  thrifty  plants  and  beautiful 
flowers.  We  would  advise  cultivators  to  test  them  both,  and 
adopt  that  which  succeeds  best  in  their  hands.  A  pit  of  the 
above  description  can  be  constructed  at  a  very  low  price,  and 
should  be  found  on  the  premises  of  every  gentleman  of  even  very 
moderate  income,  for  the  supply  of  their  parlors  during  winter. 
If  in  addition  to  this,  there  were  constructed,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  house  and  facing  south,  a  little  room  with  a  glass  front  and 
roof,  opening  into  the  parlor  and  heated  either  by  a  valve  from 
the  house  furnace  or  by  a  hollow-back  connected  with  the  parlor 
grate,  more  enjoyment  would  be  afforded  the  lover  of  flowers  than 
could  be  obtained  by  any  other  outlay  of  two  hundred  dollars. 
This  room  could  then  be  kept  constantly  filled  with  roses  from 
the  pit,  and  through  the  most  dreary  winter,  amid  rain,  snow, 
and  storm,  would  present  a  bright  array  of  the  living  reminders 
of  spring  and  summer.  It  is  a  matter  of  much  surprise,  that, 
among  all  the  beautiful  country  residences  in  the  vicinity  of  our 
large  cities,  surrounded  by  all  the  appliances  of  luxury  and  com- 
fort that  taste  and  wealth  can  afford,  so  few  instances  are  found 
in  which  the  drawing-room  or  parlor  opens  into  a  green-house  or 
conservatory.  These  buildings  are  frequently  placed  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  house,  and  although  they  may  be  filled  with  the 
most  beautiful  and  rare  exotics,  are,  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
winter,  inaccessible  to  the  ladies  of  the  family. 

Let  gentlemen  of  wealth,  then,  place  their  vineries  anywhere, 
but  use  them  as  forcing-houses  when  the  vines  are  in  a  dormant 
state.  Let  them  also  have  a  green-house  or  conservatory  open- 
ing from  the  drawing-room,  into  which  all  the  plants  can  be 
brought  from  the  vinery  whenever  they  show  signs  of  bloom. 
This  conservatory  can  be  heated  by  hot  water,  flowing  through 


166  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

iron  pipes  from  a  boiler  placed  over  the  furnace  that  warms  the 
drawing-room — taking  from  this  no  heat,  and  yet  abundantly 
warming  the  conservatory.  An  improvement  could  still  farther 
be  made,  by  having  the  east  end  of  the  conservatory  arch  over  a 
carriage  drive,  and  thus  allow  visitors  to  enter  the  drawing-room 
through  the  conservatory.  Exclusive  of  the  delight  afforded 
visitors  by  this  very  pleasant  addition  to  a  dwelling,  it  affords  a 
delightful  promenade  for  the  ladies  of  the  family,  where,  while  all 
is  wintry  without,  and  walking  is  unpleasant,  even  when  the  ice- 
bound trees  are  glittering  in  the  clear  sunlight,  they  may  luxu- 
riate amid  roses  and  jasmines,  breathing  air  redolent  with  the 
perfume  of  daphne  and  orange  flowers,  and  surrounded  with 
everything  that  can  remind  them  of  the  beauty  and  bland  cli- 
mate of  the  sunny  south.  It  is  much  to  be  hoped,  therefore,  that 
the  author  of  "Landscape  Gardening,"  in  his  next  edition  of 
Rural  Architecture,  will  make  a  conservatory  of  this  character 
an  essential  part,  a  sine  qua  non,  of  every  residence  whose  char- 
acter and  style  are  calculated  for  a  man  of  wealth.  This  much 
we  hope  for  the  sake  of  the  proper  culture  and  due  appreciation 
of  our  favorite  flower,  the  Rose. 

We  have  occupied  so  much  space  with  the  peculiarities  of  cul- 
ture for  the  forcing-house,  that  we  had  almost  forgotten  that  more 
•humble,  but  no  less  pleasure-giving  mode  of  WINDOW  culture. 
As  this  culture  is  practised  chiefly  by  those  who  cannot  spare  the 
time  nor  incur  the  expense  of  previous  preparation,  the  best  mode 
is  that  given  for  late  forcing  of  roses  taken  up  the  autumn  pre- 
vious, placing  the  plants  in  pots  seven  inches  in  diameter,  and 
using  a  soil  composed  of  equal  parts  of  sand,  loam  and  manure, 
or  peat,  loam  and  manure.  They  can  be  watered  with  manure- 
water  every  fortnight,  made  from  the  drippings  of  the  barn-yard, 
or  what  is  more  pleasant,  a  safely  weak  solution  of  guano,  about 
one  pound  to  fifteen  gallons. 

They  should  be  brought  into  the  heat  gradually — first  into  a 
cold  room  where  there  is  no  frost,  and  then  into  the  sitting-room, 
where  they  can  be  placed  in  the  window,  and  turned  around 
every  week  in  order  to  give  each  side  of  the  plant  its  share  of  light. 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  167 

They  will  soon  begin  to  put  forth  their  thrifty  shoots,  in  some  six 
weeks  will  present  a  fine  show  of  beautiful  flowers,  and,  if  properly 
managed,  will  continue  blooming  through  the  winter.  If  attacked 
by  the  green-fly,  the  plant  can  be  inverted  in  a  strong  decoction  of 
tobacco,  or  it  can  be  fumigated  by  being  placed  under  an  inverted 
barrel,  with  some  burning  tobacco.  For  window  culture,  the 
Everblooming  Roses  are  the  best,  and  they  should  be  ordered  of 
the  nurseryman  in  suitable  pots.  This  mode  commends  itself  to 
all ;  it  is  within  the  reach  of  the  daily  laborer  ;  the  seamstress 
can  have  it  in  her  window,  and  in  the  midst  of  her  toilsome  du- 
ties, be  reminded  by  its  bright  flowers,  of  many  a  green  spot  in 
past  days.  It  is  especially  suited  to  the  means  and  leisure  of  the 
operatives  in  our  factories,  many  of  whom  have  left  the  country 
and  all  its  green  fields  and  pleasant  flowers  for  the  crowded  city, 
where  they  can  have  no  garden,  but  simply  this  little  pot  to  re- 
mind them  of  past  pleasures,  and  throw  a  gleam  of  sunshine  over 
their  hours  of  relief  from  labor.  It  can  be  placed  in  their  cham- 
ber window,  or  in  the  windows  of  the  factory,  the  high  temperature 
of  which,  if  it  has  been  brought  from  the  chamber,  will  soon  bring 
out  its  foliage  in  great  luxuriance  and  its  flowers  in  beauty,  and 
be  a  pleasant  object  of  care  in  the  moments  snatched  from  the 
operations  of  the  loom.  To  this  class  we  would  especially  com- 
mend the  Rose,  as  thriving  under  simple  treatment,  as  possessing, 
more  than  any  other  flower,  the  elements  of  beauty,  and  tending 
like  other  flowers  to  keep  alive,  in  a  crowded  city,  that  freshness 
and<purity  of  feeling  that  distinguished  their  country  life,  and 
which,  unless  there  exists  an  unusual  perversion  of  the  moral 
faculties,  must  always  result  from  an  intimate  acquaintance  \vith 
natural  objects. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


PROPAGATION   OF  THE  ROSE, 

CUTTINGS. 

HIS  mode  of  propagation,  although  possible 
with  all  roses,  is  extremely  difficult  and  rare- 
ly practised  with  those  that  bloom  only  once 
in  the  season.  It  is  most  applicable  to  the 
smooth-wooded  kinds,  as  the  Bengal  and  its 
sub-classes,  and  the  Boursault,  Microphylla 
rubifolia,  &c.  Many  of  the  Perpetuals  and 
Bourbons  are  propagated  with  facility  by  the  same  mode  ;  but 
the  best  mode  for  these  is  generally  by  layers,  budding  and  graft- 
ing. For  propagation  in  the  open  ground,  cuttings  should  be 
made  in  the  early  part  of  winter.  They  should  be  made  of  wood 
of  the  growth  of  the  season,  and  about  eight  inches  long.  The 
lower  end  should  be  cut  square  close  to  the  bud,  and  they  can 
then  be  planted  thickly  two-thirds  of  their  length  in  sand,  in  a 
light  and  dry  cellar.  Here  a  callus  will  be  formed  on  the  bottom 
of  each  cutting  during  the  winter,  and  on  being  planted  out  in  the 
spring,  they  will  immediately  throw  out  roots.  They  should  be 
planted  as  early  as  possible  in  the  spring,  in  a  light  sandy  loam, 
with  one-third  of  their  length  and  at  least  one  bud  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground.  They  should  be  planted  very  early  in  the 
spring,  because,  if  left  until  late,  the  power  of  the  sun  is  too  much 
for  them.  The  earth  should  be  trodden  down  very  tight  about 
them,  in  order,  as  much  as  possible,  to  exclude  the  air.  If  the 
weather  is  dry,  they  should  be  carefully  watered  in  the  evening. 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  169 

Where  it  is  inconvenient  to  make  the  cuttings  in  the  fall  or  early 
in  the  winter,  they  can  be  made  in  the  spring ;  but  in  consequence 
of  having  to  form  the  callus,  they  will  require  a  much  lighter 
soil  than  will  afterward  be  desirable  for  their  growth,  and  they 
will  also  be  much  later  in  coming  on.  This  mode  of  open  prop- 
agation answers  very  well  for  some  of  the  smooth-wooded  roses  of 
the  more  robust  growing  varieties,  like  the  Boursault  and  Rubifo- 
lia,  but  for  the  delicate  Bengals,  the  best  mode  is  pot  propagation. 
For  this  purpose  we  use  small  pots,  rilled  with  equal  parts  of 
mould  and  sand,  or  peat  and  sand.  About  the  middle  of 
autumn,  cuttings  of  the  same  season's  growth  are  taken  off  with 
two  or  three  buds,  cutting  off  the  leaf  from  the  lower  end,  and 
cutting  off  the  wood  smooth  and  square  close  to  the  eye.  These 
cuttings  can  be  inserted  in  the  pot,  leaving  one  eye  above  the  sur- 
face. It  should  then  be  slightly  watered  to  settle  the  soil  firmly 
around  the  cuttings,  and  then  placed  in  a  cold  frame,  or  on  the 
floor  of  a  vinery  in  which  no  fire  is  kept  during  winter.  Early 
in  the  spring  the  pot  should  be  plunged  in  saw-dust  or  tan  over  a 
moderate  hot-bed,  kept  perfectly  close,  and  sprinkled  every  morn- 
ing with  water  a  little  tepid.  Now,  as  well  as  during  the  au- 
tumn, they  should  be  shaded  from  the  too  bright  glare  of  the  sun. 
In  about  a  fortnight,  and  after  they  have  formed  a  third  set  of 
leaves  and  good  roots,  a  little  air  can  be  given  them  :  and  after 
being  thus  hardened  for  a  week,  they  can  be  repotted  into  larger 
pots.  In  order  to  ascertain  when  they  are  sufficiently  rooted,  the 
ball  of  earth  can  be  taken  out  of  the  pot,  by  striking  its  inverted 
edge  lightly  against  some  body  ;  at  the  same  time  sustaining  the 
inside  by  the  hand,  the  cutting  being  passed  between  two  of  the 
fingers  a  little  separated.  If  well  rooted,  the  fibres  will  be  seen 
on  the  outside  of  the  ball  of  earth.  They  can  then  be  placed  in 
a  cold  frame,  or  anywhere  under  glass,  to  be  planted  out  the  lat- 
ter part  of  spring,  or  retained  for  pot  culture.  Where  hot-bed 
frames  are  not  convenient,  or  the  amateur  wishes  only  to  exper- 
iment with  one  or  two  cuttings,  he  can  use  a  tumbler,  or  any 
kind  of  close  glass  covering. 

Bottom  heat  is  quite  an  important  aid  in  propagation  by  cut- 

15 


170  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

tings ;  and  a  material  point  is  gained,  both  in  time  and  certainty, 
if  the  base  of  the  cutting  can  be  kept  at  a  higher  temperature 
than  the  part  above  ground,  but  not  so  high  as  to  injure  the  cut- 
ting by  too  rapid  stimulation  of  its  vegetative  powers.  Where  roses 
are  forced  into  bloom  the  latter  part  of  winter,  cuttings  can  be 
taken  from  them  immediately  after  the  bloom  is  past ;  and  they 
will  also  succeed  well,  if  taken  from  plants  in  the  open  ground 
immediately  after  their  first  bloom.  Cuttings  of  the  Everbloom- 
ing  Roses  will  all  strike  at  any  time  during  the  summer,  but  they 
succeed  much  better  either  in  the  autumn  Or  after  their  first 
bloom.  The  heat  of  our  midsummer  sun  is  so  great,  that  cut- 
tings often  fail  at  that  time.  The  wood  of  a  cutting  should  be 
always  perfectly  mature,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  such  maturity  is 
never  perfect  until  after  the  bloom  is  past.  When  a  cutting  is 
made  near  the  old  stem,  it  is  better  to  take  with  it  a  portion  of  the 
old  wood,  which  forms  the  enlarged  part  of  the  young  branch. 
Where  the  cuttings  are  scarce,  two  buds  will  answer  very  well — 
one  below  the  surface ;  and,  in  some  cases,  propagation  has  been 
successful  with  only  one  eye.  In  this  case  they  are  planted  up 
to  the  base  of  the  leaf,  in  pots  of  sand  similar  to  that  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  glass,  and  the  eye  is  partially  covered.  They 
are  then  subject  to  the  same  treatment  as  the  others,  and  care- 
fully shaded ;  they  will  thus  root  easily,  but  require  a  long  time 
to  make  strong  plants. 

Some  years  since,  Lecoq,  a  French  cultivator,  conceived  the 
idea  of  endeavoring  to  propagate  roses  by  the  leaf.  He  gathered 
some  very  young  leaves  of  the  Bengal  rose,  about  one  quarter 
developed,  cutting  them  off  at  their  insertion,  or  at  the  surface 
of  the  bark.  He  planted  these  in  peat  soil,  in  one  inch  pots,  and 
then  plunged  the  pots  into  a  moderate  heat.  A  double  cover  of 
bell  glasses  was  then  placed  over  them,  to  exclude  the  air  entirely, 
which  course  of  treatment  was  pursued  until  they  had  taken  root. 
The  shortest  time  in  which  this  could  be  accomplished  was  eight 
weeks,  and  the  roots  were  formed  in  the  following  manner.  First 
a  callus  was  formed  at  the  base  of  the  leaf,  from  which  small 
fibres  put  forth ;  a  small  bud  then  appeared  on  the  upper  side ; 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  171 

a  stalk  then  arose  from  this  bud,  which  finally  expanded  into 
leaves  and  formed  a  perfect  plant.  (See  Fig.  16.) 

An  English  writer  remarks,  that  "  the  leaves  or  leaflets  of  a 
rose  will  often  take  root  more  freely  than  even  cuttings,  and  in  a 
much  shorter  time,  but  these  uniformly  refuse  to  make  buds  or 
grow." 

This  experiment  is  certainly  very  curious,  and  evinces  how 
great,  in  the  vegetable  kingdom,  are  the  powers  of  nature  for  the 
re-production  of  existence,  and  is  one  of  those  singular  results 
which  should  lead  us  to  make  farther  experiments  with  various 
parts  of  plants,  and  teach  us  that  even  in  Horticulture  there  is 
yet  a  wide  field  for  scientific  research. 

BY  LAYERS. 

This  mode  is  more  particularly  applicable  to  those  roses  that 
bloom  only  once  in  the  year,  and  which  do  not  strike  freely  from 
cuttings,  although  it  can  be  equally  well  applied  to  all  the  smooth- 
wooded  kinds.  It  can  be  performed  at  midsummer  and  for  sev- 
eral weeks  afterward,  and  should  be  employed  only  in  those 
cases  where  young  shoots  have  been  formed  at  least  a  foot  long 
and  are  well  matured.  The  soil  should  be  well  dug  around  the 
olant,  forming  a  little  raised  bed  of  some  three  feet  in  diameter, 
with  the  soil  well  pulverized  and  mixed  with  some  manure  well 
decomposed,  and,  if  heavy,  a  little  sand.  A  hole  should  then  be 
made  in  this  bed  about  four  inches  deep,  and  the  young  matured 
shoot  bent  down  into  it,  keeping  the  top  of  the  shoot  some  three  or 
four  inches  above  the  surface  of  the  ground  ;  the  angle  thus  being 
found,  which  should  always  be  made  at  a  bud  and  about  five  or 
six  inches  from  the  top  of  the  shoot,  the  operator  should  cut  off 
all  the  leaves  below  the  ground.  A  sharp  knife  should  then  be 
placed  just  below  a  bud,  about  three  inches  below  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  a  slanting  cut  made  upward  and  lengthwise, 
about  half  through  the  branch,  forming  a  sort  of  tongue  from  one 
to  two  inches  long,  on  the  back  part  of  the  shoot  right  opposite 
the  bud ;  a  chip  or  some  of  the  soil  can  be  placed  in  the  slit  to 
prevent  it  from  closing,  and  the  shoot  can  then  be  carefully  laid 


172  CULTURE    OP    THE    ROSE. 

in  the  hole,  and  pegged  down  at  a  point  some  two  inches  below 
the  cut,  keeping,  at  the  same  time,  the  top  of  the  shoot  some  three 
or  four  inches  out  of  the  ground,  and  making  it  fast  to  a  small 
stake,  to  keep  it  upright.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  make  the 
angle  where  the  branch  is  pegged,  at  the  cut,  as  the  branch  would 
be  injured  and  perhaps  broken  off;  the  best  place  is  about  two 
inches  below  the  incision.  The  soil  can  then  be  replaced  in  the 
hole,  and  where  it  is  convenient  covered  with  some  moss  or  litter 
of  any  kind.  This  will  protect,  the  soil  from  the  sun  and  keep 
it  moist,  and  will  materially  aid  the  formation  of  new  roots. 
These  are  formed  in  the  same  manner  as  in  cuttings;  first  a 
callus  is  produced  on  those  parts  of  the  incision  where  the  bark 
joins  the  wood,  and  from  this  callus  spring  the  roots,  which,  in 
some  cases,  will  have  grown  sufficiently  to  be  taken  from  the 
parent  plant  the  latter  part  of  the  following  autumn ;  in  some 
cases,  however,  the  roots  will  not  have  sufficiently  formed  to  allow 
them  to  be  taken  up  before  another  year.  The  summer  is  the 
best  period  for  laying  the  young  shoots.  Early  in  the  spring, 
layers  can  be  made  with  the  wood  formed  the  previous  year. 
Where  it  is  more  convenient,  a  shoot  can  be  rooted  by  making  the 
incision  as  above,  and  introducing  it  into  a  quart  pot  with  the 
bottom  partly  broken  out.  This  pot  can  be  plunged  in  the 
ground,  or  if  the  branch  is  from  a  standard,  it  can  be  raised  on  a 
rough  platform.  In  either  case,  it  should  be  covered  with  moss 
to  protect  it  from  the  sun,  and  should  be  watered  every  evening. 
We  recollect  seeing  in  the  glass  manufactories  of  Paris,  a  very 
neat  little  glass  tumbler,  used  by  the  French  gardeners  for  this 
purpose.  It  held,  perhaps,  half  a  pint,  and  a  space  about  half  an 
inch  wide  was  cut  out  through  the  whole  length  of  the  side, 
through  which  space  the  branch  of  any  plant  was  inserted,  and 
the  tumbler  then  filled  with  soil.  When  the  roots  were  formed 
and  began  to  penetrate  the  soil,  they  could  be  easily  perceived 
through  the  glass.  Although  an  incision  is  always  the  most 
certain,  and  it  is  uniformly  practised,  roots  will  in  many  varie- 
ties strike  easily  from  the  buds;  and  a  common  operation  in 
France  is,  simply  to  peg  down  the  branches  in  the  soil,  without 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  173 

any  incision ;  in  some  cases,  they,  give  the  branch  a  sudden 
twist,  which  will  break  or  bruise  the  bark,  and  facilitate  the  for- 
mation of  roots. 

Some  Chinese  authors  state  that  very  long  branches  may  be 
laid  down,  and  that  roots  may  thus  be  obtained  from  all  the  eyes 
upon  them,  which  will  eventually  form  as  many  plants. 

Vibert,  a  well-known  rose  cultivator  in  France,  remarks  upon 
this  point :  "  Upon  laying  down  with  the  requisite  care,  some 
branches,  fifteen  to  twenty-four  inches  long  of  the  new  growth, 
or  of  that  of  the  previous  year,  and  upon  taking  them  up  with 
similar  care,  after  twelve  or  eighteen  months,  I  found  only  the 
first  eyes  expanded  into  buds  or  roots,  while  the  rest  had  perished. 
I  have  seldom  seen  the  fifth  eye  developed,  while  I  have  fre- 
quently known  the  whole  branch  entirely  perish.  I  speak  in 
general  terms,  for  there  are  some  rare  exceptions,  and  the  different 
varieties  of  the  Four-seasons  Rose  (Rosa-bifera)  may  be  cited  as 
proof,  that  a  great  number  of  eyes  of  the  same  branch  have  taken 
root." 

This  is  the  opinion  of  an  eminent  rose  grower ;  but  if,  as  he 
states,  the  Monthly  Damask  Rose  will  root  freely  in  this  way, 
many  of  the  smooth-wooded  roses  would  undoubtedly  root  still 
more  freely,  and  our  rapid  growing  native  rose,  Queen  of  the 
Prairies,  would  very  probably  throw  out  roots  freely,  when  treated 
in  this  manner.  It  is  worth  repeated  experiment ;  for,  if  rapid 
growing  roses,  like  some  of  the  evergreen  varieties,  the  Greville, 
and  the  Queen  of  the  Prairies,  could  with  facility  be  made  to 
grow  in  this  way,  rose  hedges  could  be  easily  formed  by  laying 
down  whole  branches,  and  a  very  beautiful  and  effective  protec- 
tion would  be  thus  produced,  to  ornament  our  fields  and  gardens. 

SUCKERS. 

Many  roses  throw  up  suckers  readily  from  the  root,  and  often 
form  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  annoyance  to  the  cultivator 
For  this  reason,  budding  and  grafting  should  always  be  done  on 
stocks  that  do  not  incline  to  sucker.  The  Dog  Rose — on  which 
almost  all  the  imported  varieties  are  now  worked — is  particularly 

15* 


174  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

liable  to  this  objection,  and  it  is  no  unusual  thing  to  see  half-a- 
dozen  suckers  growing  about  a  single  rose-tree.  When  the  health 
and  prosperity  of  the  plant  is  desired,  these  should  be  care- 
fully kept  down,  as  they  deprive  the  plant  of  a  material  portion 
of  its  nourishment.  When,  however,  they  are  wanted  for  stocks, 
they  should  be  taken  off  every  spring  with  a  small  portion  of 
root,  which  can  generally  be  obtained  by  cutting  some  distance 
below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  They  should  be  planted  imme- 
diately when  they  are  wanted  for  buflding,  and  will  soon  be  fit 
for  use.  Many  fine  varieties  of  the  summer  roses  will  sucker  in 
this  way,  and  an  old  plant  when  taken  up,  will  sometimes  fur- 
nish a  large  number  of  thrifty  stems,  each  with  a  portion  of  root 
attached. 

BUDDING. 

Fifty  years  ago,  budding  and  grafting  were  very  little  practised, 
excepting  with  new  varieties,  that  could  with  great  difficulty  be 
propagated  in  any  other  way.  Within  that  time,  however,  the 
practice  has  been  constantly  increasing  until  now,  when  it  is 
extensively  employed  in  Europe,  and  roses  imported  from  France 
and  England  can  very  rarely  be  obtained  on  their  own  roots. 
To  this  mode  of  propagation,  we  know  of  but  one  objection,  and 
that  easily  obviated  by  proper  care,  while  the  advantages  in  many 
varieties  are  sufficiently  great  to  counterbalance  any  inconveni- 
ences attending  the  cultivation  of  a  budded  or  grafted  rose.  It 
is  generally  the  case,  that  the  stock  or  plant  on  which  the  Rose 
is  budded,  is  of  some  variety  that  will  throw  up  suckers  very 
freely,  which  growing  with  great  luxuriance,  will  sometimes 
overpower  the  variety  budded  upon  it,  and  present  a  mass  of  its 
own  flowers.  The  purchaser  will  thus  find  a  comparatively 
worthless  bloom,  instead  of  the  rare  and  beautiful  varieties  whose 
appearance  he  has  been  eagerly  awaiting,  and  upon  the  head  of 
the  nurseryman  will  frequently  descend  the  weight  of  his  indig- 
nation, for  furnishing  him  with  a  worthless  plant,  instead  of  the 
new  and  beautiful  variety  for  which  he  paid.  This  difficulty  can, 
however,  always  be  avoided  by  a  very  little  attention.  The 
shoot  of  the  stock  can  very  readily  be  distinguished  from  that  of 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  175 

the  budded  or  grafted  variety  by  its  growth  and  foliage,  even  if 
the  age  of  the  plant  will  not  allow  the  point  of  inoculation  to  be 
recognized.  In  passing  the  plant  in  his  walks,  let  the  owner 
simply  cut  away  any  shoot  of  this  character  that  may  spring  from 
the  stock  or  root,  and  the  objection  will  at  once  be  obviated. 
The  budded  variety  thus  receiving  all  the  nourishment  from  the 
root,  will  soon  grow  with  luxuriance,  and  present  to  the  eager 
expectant  as  fine  a  bloom  as  he  may  desire — at  the  expense  only 
of  a  little  observation,  and  the  trouble  of  occasionally  taking  his 
knife  from  his  pocket.  The  advantages  of  budding  and  grafting 
are  on  the  other  hand  very  great.  Nearly  all  roses  will  grow 
more  luxuriantly  on  a  good  thrifty  stock,  than  on  their  own  roots, 
ai\d  many  varieties  which  will  scarcely  grow  an  inch  in  a  year 
on  their  own  roots,  will  make  strong  and  luxuriant  shoots  when 
budded.  Of  such  are  Lee's  Crimson  Perpetual  and  others.  It 
may  safely  be  assumed  that  on  strong  growing  stocks  like  the 
Boursault  and  Madame  d'Arblay,  all  roses  will  grow  as  well  as 
on  their  own  root,  and  many  will  grow  much  better.  It  is  from 
their  knowledge  of  this  fact,  that  French  cultivators  have  so  uni- 
versally adopted  budding  and  grafting,  even  with  those  varieties 
that  readily  strike  from  cuttings.  Such  being  the  advantages  of 
budding  and  grafting,  the  single  objection  stated  above  seems 
scarcely  worthy  of  serious  consideration.  This  practice  has 
brought  into  cultivation  a  form  of  the  plant  which  is  highly 
ornamental,  but  which  can  never  become  very  general  in  this 
country.  The  Tree  Rose  is  an  inoculation  upon  a  standard  some 
four  or  five  feet  in  height,  generally  a  Dog  Rose  or  Eglantine. 
The  tall,  naked  stem,  a  greater  part  of  which  is  unsheltered  by 
any  foliage,  is  exposed  to  the  full  glare  of  our  summer  sun,  and 
unless  protected  in  some  way,  will  often  die  out  in  two  or  three 
years.  Its  life  can  be  prolonged  by  covering  the  stem  with  moss, 
or  with  a  sort  of  tin  tube,  provided  with  small  holes,  to  allow  the 
air  to  enter  and  circulate  around  the  stem.  This  is,  however, 
some  trouble :  and  as  many  will  not  provide  this  protection,  a 
large  part  of  the  standard  roses  imported  to  this  country  will 


176  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


gradually  die  out,  and  rose  bushes  be  generally  employed  for 
single  planting,  or  for  grouping  upon  the  lawn. 

In  budding,  there  are  two  requisites :  a  well-established  and 
thriftily  growing  plant,  and  a  well-matured  eye  or  bud.  The 
operation  can  be  performed  at  any  season  when  these  requisites 
can  be  obtained.  In  the  open  ground,  the  wood  from  which  the 
buds  are  cut,  is  generally  not  mature  until  after  the  first  summer 
bloom. 

Having  ascertained  by  running  a  knife  under  the  bark,  that 
the  stock  will  peel  easily,  and  having  some  perfectly  ripe  young 
shoots  with  buds  upon  them,  the  operation  can  be  performed  with 
a  sharp  knife  that  is  round  and  very  thin  at  the  point.  Make  in 
the  bark  of  the  stock  a  longitudinal  incision  of  three-quarters^of 
an  inch,  and  another  short  one  across  the  top  as  in  fig.  13 ;  run 
the  knife  under  the  bark  and  loosen  it  from  the  wood  ;  then  cut 
from  one  of  the  young  shoots  of  the  desired  variety,  a  bud  as  in 
fig.  14 ;  placing  the  knife  a  quarter  to  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
above  the  eye  or  bud,  and  cutting  out  about  the  same  distance 
below  it,  cutting  sufficiently  near  the  bud  to  take  with  it  a  very 
thin  scale  of  the  wood.  English  gardeners  will  always  peel  off 
this  thin  scale ;  but  in  our  hot  climate,  it  should  always  be  left 
on,  as  it  assists  to  keep  the  bud  moist,  and  does  not  at  all  prevent 
the  access  of  the  sap  from  the  stock  to  the  bud.  The  bud  being 
thus  prepared,  take  it,  by  the  portion  of  leaf-stalk  attached,  between 
the  thumb  and  finger  in  the  left  hand,  and,  with  the  knife  in  the 
right,  open  the  incision  in  the  bark  sufficiently  to  allow  the  bud 
to  be  slipped  in  as  far  as  it  will  go,  when  the  bark  will  close  over 
and  retain  it.  Then  take  a  mat-string,  or  a  piece  of  yarn,  and 
firmly  bind  it  around  the  bud,  leaving  only  the  petiole  and  bud 
exposed,  as  in  fig.  12.  The  string  should  be  allowed  to  remain 
for  about  two  weeks,  or  until  the  bud  is  united  to  the  stock.  If 
allowed  to  remain  longer,  it  will  sometimes  cut  into  the  bark  of 
the  rapidly  growing  stock,  but  is  productive  of  no  other  injury. 
It  is  the  practice  with  many  cultivators  to  cut  off  the  top  of  the 
stock  above  the  bud  immediately  after  inoculation.  A  limited 
acquaintance  with  vegetable  physiology  would  convince  the  cul- 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  177 

tivator  of  the  injurious  results  of  this  practice,  and  that  the  total 
excision  of  the  branches  of  the  stock  while  in  full  vegetation  must 
be  destructive  to  a  large  portion  of  the  roots,  and  highly  detri- 
mental to  the  prosperity  of  the  plant.  A  much  better  mode  is  to 
bend  down  the  top,  and  tie  its  extremity  to  the  lower  part  of  the 
stock.  Several  days  after  this  is  done,  the  bud  can  be  inserted 
just  below  the  sharpest  bend  of  the  arch.  When  the  buds  are 
to  be  placed  in  the  branches  of  a  stock,  as  in  fig.  15,  the  top  of 
the  main  stem  can  be  cut  off,  and  the  branches  arched  over  and 
tied  to  the  main  stem,  as  at  f  •  the  bud  is  then  inserted  in  each 
branch  at  e.  The  circulation  of  the  sap  being  thus  impeded  by 
the  bending  of  the  branches,  it  is  thrown  into  the  inoculation,  and 
forms  then  a  more  immediate  union  than  it  would  if  the  branches 
were  not  arched.  After  the  buds  have  become  fairly  united  to 
the  stock  and  have  commenced  growing,  the  top  can  be  safely 
cut  off  to  the  bud,  although  it  would  be  still  better  to  make  the 
pruning  of  the  top  proportionate  to  the  growth  of  the  bud ;  by  this 
means,  a  slower,  but  more  healthy  vegetation  is  obtained.  When 
the  buds  are  inserted  very  late  in  the  season,  it  is  better  not  to 
cut  off  the  top  of  the  stock  or  branches  until  the  following  spring, 
and  to  preserve  the  bud  dormant.  If  allowed  to  make  a  rapid 
growth  so  late  in  the  season,  there  would  be  great  danger  of  its 
being  killed  by  frost.  European  cultivators  are  very  fond  of 
budding  several  varieties  on  one  stock,  in  order  to  obtain  the 
pretty  effect  produced  by  a  contrast  of  color.  This  will  only 
answer  where  great  care  is  taken  to  select  varieties  of  the  same 
vegetating  force  ;  otherwise  orte  will  soon  outstrip  the  other,  and 
appropriate  all  the  nourishment.  It  is  also  desirable  that  they 
should  belong  to  the  same  species.  When  a  bud  is  inserted  in  a 
plant  in  pot,  as  in  fig  1,  the  main  branches  are  left,  and  a  portion 
of  the  top  only  cut  off,  in  order  to  give  the  bud  some  additional 
nourishment. 

GRAFTING. 

From  the  pithy  nature  of  the  wood  of  the  Rose,  grafting  is 
always  less  certain  than  budding ;  but  is  frequently  adopted  by 


178 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


cultivators,  as  budding  cannot  be  relied  upon  in  the  spring,  and 
as  there  is  much  wood  from  the  winter  pruning  which  would  be 
otherwise  wasted.  It  is  also  useful  for  working  over  those  plants 
in  which  buds  have  missed  the  previous  summer. 

There  are  several  modes  of  grafting  of  which  the  most  gen- 
erally practised  is  cleft  grafting.  For  this  mode,  the  stock  is 
cut  off  at  the  desired  height  with  a  sharp  knife,  horizontally,  or 
slightly  sloping,  as  in  fig.  2.  This  should  be  done  just  above  a 
bud  which  may  serve  to  draw  up  the  sap  to  the  graft.  The 
stock  can  then  be  split  with  a  heavy  knife,  making  the  slit  or 
cleft  about  an  inch  long.  The  scion  should  be  about  four  inches 
long,  with  two  or  more  buds  upon  it.  An  inch  of  the  lower  part 
of  the  scion  can  be  cut  in  the  shape  of  a  wedge,  making  one  side 
very  thin,  and  on  the  thick  or  outer  side,  leaving  a  bud  opposite 
to  the  top  of  the  wedge.  This  scion  can  then  be^  inserted  in  the 
cleft  as  far  as  the  wedge  is  cut,  being  very  careful  to  make  the 
bark  of  the  scion  fit  exactly  to  that  of  the  stock.  In  order  to 
exclude  the  air,  the  top  and  side  of  the  stock  should  then  be  bound 
with  a  strip  of  cloth  covered  with  a  composition  of  beeswax  and 
resin  in  equal  parts,  with  sufficient  tallow  to  make  it  soft  at  a 
reasonably  low  temperature.  In  the  course  of  two  or  three 
weeks,  if  every  thing  is  favorable,  the  scion  will  begin  to  unite, 
and  will  be  ready  to  go  forward  with  advancing  vegetation. 
When  the  stock  is  sufficiently  large,  two  scions  can  be  inserted, 
as  in  fig.  2. 

Whip  grafting  is  performed  by  cutting  a  slice  of  bark  with 
a  little  wood  from  the  side  of  a  stock  about  an  inch  and  a-half 
long,  and  then  paring  a  scion  of  the  usual  length  down  to  a 
very  thin,  lower  extremity.  This  scion  can  then  be  accurately 
fitted  on  to  the  place  from  which  the  slice  of  bark  and  wood 
is  taken.  The  whole  can  then  be  bound  around  with  cotton 
cloth,  covered  with  the  composition  described  before.  In  all 
grafting  it  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  it  is  essential  for  the 
bark  of  the  scion  and  that  of  the  stock,  to  touch  each  other  in 
some  point,  and  the  more  the  points  of  contact,  the  greater  will 
be  the  chance  of  success. 


CULTURE    OP    THE    ROSE.  179 

Rind  grafting  is  also  sometimes  practised,  but  is  more  uncer- 
tain than  the  former,  as  the  swelling  of  the  stock  is  very  apt  to 
force  the  scion  out.  This  mode  must  be  practised  when  the  bark 
peels  easily,  or  separates  with  ease  from  the  wood.  The  top  of 
the  stock  must  be  cut  off  square,  and  the  bark  cut  through  from 
the  top  about  an  inch  downward.  The  point  of  the  knife  can 
then  be  inserted  at  the  top,  and  the  bark  peeled  back,  as  in  fig.  9. 
It  is  desirable  as  before,  that  a  bud  should  be  left  on  the  other 
side  of  the  stock,  opposite  this  opening :  and  the  French  prefer, 
also,  to  have  a  bud  left  on  the  outside  of  the  part  of  the  scion 
which  is  inserted.  The  scion  should  be  cut  out  and  sloped  flat 
on  one  side,  as  in  fig.  11 ;  then  inserted  in  the  stock  between  the 
bark  and  wood,  as  in  fig.  10,  and  bound  with  mat-strings,  or  strips 
of  grafting  cloth. 

The  French  have  another  mode  of  grafting  stocks  about  the 
size  of  a  quill,  or  the  little  finger.  It  is  done  by  placing  the  knife 
about  two  inches  below  a  bud  which  is  just  on  the  point  of  start- 
ing, and  cutting  half  way  through  the  stock,  and  two  inches 
down,  as  in  fig.  3.  The  scion  is  then  placed  in  the  lower  part  of 
this  cavity,  in  the  same  manner  as  with  cleft  grafting.  This 
mode  is  called  Aspirant,  from  the  bud  above  the  incision  which 
continues  to  draw  up  the  sap,  until  the  development  of  the  scion. 
When  the  scion  has  grown  about  two  inches,  the  top  of  the  stock 
is  cut  off  and  covered  with  grafting  wax.  This  mode  is  not 
always  successful,  as  the  sap  leaves  the  side  of  the  stock  which 
has  been  partly  cut  away  and  passes  up  the  other  side. 

The  French  have  also  a  mode  of  grafting,  which  they  call  par 
incrustation,  and  which  is  performed  in  the  spring,  as  soon  as 
the  leaf-buds  appear.  A  scion  with  a  bud  adhering  to  the  wood 
is  cut  in  a  sort  of  oval  shape,  as  in  fig.  5,  and  inserted  in  a  cavity 
made  of  the  same  shape,  and  just  below  an  eye  which  has  com- 
menced growing,  fig.  4.  It  is  then  bound  around  with  matting, 
as  in  budding.  This  is  a  sort  of  spring  budding,  with  rather 
more  wood  attached  to  the  bud,  than  in  summer  budding.  It  is 
very  successfully  practised  by  various  cultivators  in  the  vicinity 
of  Paris.  There  is  still  another  mode  sometimes  practised  in 


180  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

France,  which  owes  its  origin  to  a  cultivator  named  Lecoq.  A 
small  branch  is  chosen,  which  is  provided  with  two  buds,  one  of 
them  being  on  the  upper  part,  and  the  other  near  its  larger  end, 
fig.  7.  A  sidelong  sloping  cut  is  made  all  along  its  lower  half, 
the  upper  being  left  entire.  When  the  scion  is  thus  prepared,  its 
cut  side  is  fitted  to  the  side  of  the  stock  under  the  bark,  fig.  6, 
which  has  been  cut  and  peeled  back,  as  in  fig.  9.  It  is  then 
bound  around  with  mat-strings  or  grafting  cloth  in  the  usual 
way.  This  mode  has  a  peculiar  merit ;  should  the  upper  bud  not 
grow,  the  lower  one  rarely  fails,  and  develops  itself  as  in  com- 
mon budding. 

Cleft  and  whip  grafting  is  also  practised  occasionally  upon  the 
roots  of  the  Rose,  and  succeeds  very  well  with  some  varieties. 
These  modes  of  grafting  can  all  be  more  successfully  practised 
on  stocks  in  pots  (fig.  8),  in  green-houses  with  bottom  heat  and 
bell  glasses.  We  have  given  thus  concisely,  and  we  hope  clearly, 
the  various  modes  of  budding  and  grafting  with  which  we  are 
acquainted.  They  may  be  sufficient  to  enable  the  amateur  to 
amuse  his  leisure  hours,  whose  success  may  not,  however,  entirely 
meet  his  expectations.  Simple  as  these  operations  are,  they 
require  a  kind  of  skill,  and  if  we  may  so  call  it,  sleight-of-hand, 
which  is  only  attained  by  constant  practice  upon  a  great  number 
of  plants. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


MULTIPLICATION  BY  SEED  AND  HYBRIDIZING. 

E  have  described,  in  former  pages,  the  va- 
rious modes  of  cultivating  the  Rose,  and  of 
propagating  the  many  beautiful  varieties 
which  exist,  and  would  now  briefly  advert 
to  a  mode  of  developing  still  farther  the 
beauty  which  lies  hid  within  the  horny  cov- 
ering that  protects  the  dormant  germ  of 
vitality — in  other  words,  of  obtaining  new  varieties  by  seed.  With 
the  making  of  the  seed-bed  commenced  a  new  era  in  the  culture 
of  the  Rose,  and  advancing  with  rapid  strides,  it  made  more 
progress  in  forty  years  than  in  centuries  before.  The  Dutch 
seem  to  have  been  the  first  to  raise  roses  from  seed,  by  the  same 
mode  which  they  applied  successfully  to  their  tulips,  hyacinths, 
&c.,  and  from  the  time  that  this  mode  became  generally  employed, 
the  varieties  of  roses  began  to  increase.  In  this  species  of  culti- 
vation the  French  soon  outstripped  their  Dutch  neighbors,  and 
gained  the  reputation  which  they  still  retain,  of  pre-eminent  skill 
in  the  production  of  new  varieties  of  roses  from  the  seed. 

From  1805  to  1810,  the  Empress  Josephine,  whose  love  for 
flowers  is  well  known,  collected  at  her  favorite  residence,  Mal- 
maison,  the  choicest  varieties  of  the  Rose  that  could  be  obtained 
from  Holland,  Germany  and  Belgium,  and  thus  gave  an  increased 
impulse  to  the  culture  of  roses  in  the  vicinity  of  Paris. 

According  to  De  Pronville,  a  French  writer,  there  were,  in 

16 


182 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


1814,  only  182  varieties  of  roses,  and  the  advantage  of  multipli- 
cation by  seed  is  sufficiently  evinced  by  the  fact  that  there  are 
now  more  than  4,500  varieties,  the  poorest  of  which  are  much 
better  than  any  which  existed  at  that  day.  Among  the  earliest 
cultivators  of  roses  from  the  seed,  were  three  Frenchmen :  Du- 
pont,  Vilmorin  and  Descemet.  The  former  was  the  gardener  of 
the  Empress  Josephine.  When  the  allies'  armies  entered  Paris, 
in  1815,  the  garden  of  Descemet  contained  10,000  seedling 
roses,  which  Vibert,  in  his  anxiety  to  secure  from  destruction, 
succeeded  in  carrying  to  his  garden  in  the  interior. 

In  England,  very  little  attention  seems,  at  that  time,  to  have 
been  paid  to  the  production  of  new  varieties  from  seed,  and  they 
relied  very  much  upon  the  continent  for  their  choice  roses.  Now, 
however,  they  are  abundantly  redeeming  their  reputation,  and 
many  fine  varieties  have  been  produced  by  English  rose-growers, 
at  the  head  of  whom  stands  Rivers,  whose  efforts  are  seconded  by 
Wood,  Glenny,  Paul,  Lane,  and  others.  They  are  still,  however, 
compelled  to  yield  to  the  French  cultivators,  with  LafTay  and 
Vibert  at  their  head ;  for  to  these  we  are  indebted  for  our  very 
finest  roses— for  Lamarque,  Solfaterre,  La  Reine,  Chromatella, 
the  new  white  Perpetuals,  and  above  all  for  that  unsurpassed 
rose  of  roses,  Souvenir  de  Malmaison. 

The  varieties  of  roses  became  increasingly  great  after  the  in- 
troduction of  the  Bengals,  Noisettes,  Teas,  and  Bourbons — all 
these  classes  producing  readily  from  seed,  and  in  endless  variety. 
There  still  remains  a  willingness  to  cast  aside  the  old  for  the  new, 
and  however  much  we  may  regret  this  disposition,  for  the  sake 
of  some  old  and  truly  deserving  favorites,  we  cannot  feel  willing 
to  denounce  it,  for  it  exhibits  a  gratifying  evidence  of  a  desire  for 
improvement,  and  the  existence  of  a  spirit  of  progress,  which,  dis- 
satisfied with  things  as  they  are,  is  continually  striving  after 
nearer  approaches  to  perfection.  If,  in  this  strife,  some  of  our  old 
favorites  have  been  cast  aside,  we  are  more  than  abundantly 
compensated  for  their  loss  by  the  new  claimants  to  our  regard. 

Those  who  intend  to  raise  new  roses  from  seed,  should  select 
varieties  differing  as  much  as  possible  in  color  and  habit,  and 


CULTURE    OP    THE    ROSE.  183 

possessing  broad,  thick,  and  well-formed  petals  ;  their  stamens 
should  also  be  visible,  and  their  pistil  perfect ;  .for  perfectly  double 
flowers,  in  which  all  the  organs  of  propagation— the  stamens  and 
pistils — are  changed  into  petals,  never  yield  seed.  These  should 
be  planted  together  in  a  rich  soil,  and  as  far  as  possible  from  any 
other  roses.  If  there  are  among  them  any  two  varieties  whose 
peculiarities  it  is  desired  to  unite  in  a  single  plant,  place  these 
next  to  each  other,  and  there  may  possibly  be  such  an  admixture 
of  the  pollen  as  wTill  produce  the  desired  result. 

Care  should  be  taken  not  to  affect  the  proper  maturity  of  the 
seed  by  taking  off  the  petals,  but  allow  them  to  fall  by  their  own 
decay.  The  seed  should  be  perfectly  mature  before  it  is  gath- 
ered, which  will  be  immediately  after  the  first  hard  frost.  After 
the  heps  have  been  gathered,  the  seeds  can  be  taken  out  with  the 
point  of  a  knife,  or,  if  there  is  a  large  quantity,  they  can  be  put 
on  a  table  and  bruised  with  a  wooden  roller ;  the  covering  of  the 
seeds  is  so  tough  that  they  cannot  easily  be  injured.  When  the 
hep  is  sufficiently  bruised,  it  can  be  plunged  into  a  vessel  of 
water ;  and  by  continued  friction,  the  seeds  can  be  easily  sepa- 
rated from  the  pulp  which  surrounds  them,  and  will  generally 
fall  to  the  bottom.  After  being  dried  a  few  days  in  the  shade, 
they  should  be  placed  just  beneath  the  surface,  in  pots  filled  with 
fine  sand,  or  peat  earth,  where  they  can  be  kept  until  wanted  for 
planting  in  the  spring.  The  seeds  which  are  not  thus  placed  in 
sand  soon  after  they  are  gathered,  will  not  grow  until  the  second, 
and  if  delayed  very  long,  until  the  third  year.  In  this  case,  how- 
ever, their  germination  can  be  hastened  by  sowing  them  in 
earthen  pans,  which  are  placed  upon  a  hot-bed  or  under  a  glass 
frame.  The  seeds  being  thus  planted  immediately  after  being 
gathered,  the  sand  should  be  kept  moistened  through  the  winter, 
and  the  pots  kept  out  of  the  reach  of  frost.  Mice  are  very  fond  of 
these  "seeds,  and  will  destroy  them  unless  they  are  covered  with 
burrs,  or  protected  by  coarse  wire  netting.  The  pots  should  be 
kept  out  of  all  heat,  excepting  what  may  be  required  to  keep  the 
frost  from  them,  until  the  first  of  the  fourth  month  (April),  in  this 
latitude,  and  at  the  South,  earlier ;  this  is  requisite,  in  order  to 


184  CULTURE    0**   THE    ROSE. 

prevent  their  germinating  before  all  danger  of  frost  is  past  in  the 
open  air.  At  the  time  the  pots  or  pans  are  brought  from  their 
sheltered  place  into  a  warm  temperature,  beds  for  the  plants 
should  be  made  in  the  open  air,  that  they  may  be  ready  the  mo- 
ment they  are  required.  For  these  an  eastern  aspect  is  the  best, 
and  in  our  hot  climate,  on  the  north  side  of  a  fence  would  answer 
very  well ;  if  they  are  in  an  open  piece  of  ground,  they  should  be 
sheltered  by  an  awning  from  the  hot  sun.  The  soil  should  be  a 
rich,  light  sandy  mould,  with  a  little  peat,  if  convenient,  and  should 
be  finely  pulverized.  The  seeds  should  now  be  closely  watched, 
and  the  moment  they  are  seen  pushing  up  the  sand,  in  order  to 
obtain  light,  they  should  be  taken  out  singly  with  the  point  of  a 
knife,  taking  a  small  portion  of  the  sand  with  them.  The  bed 
having  been  previously  watered,  and  raked  fine,  drills  can  be 
made,  half  an  inch  deep  and  about  a  foot  apart,  in  which  the 
germinating  seeds  can  be  placed,  at  a  distance  of  six  inches 
from  each  other,  and  then  carefully  covered  with  finely  pul- 
verized soil.  Having  commenced  germinating  in  the  pots,  the 
seeds,  now  in  the  genial  warmth  of  a  spring  sun,  but  protected 
from  its  fiercest  rays,  will  soon  show  their  heads  above  the  ground, 
and  striking  deep  root  in  the  rich  soil,  grow  rapidly.  While  the 
plants  are  small,  care  should  be  taken  to  keep  the  ground  con- 
stantly moist. 

We  are  aware  that  this  process  is  somewhat  new  with  rose 
seeds,  although  it  has  been  long  practised  with  Rhododendrons 
and  other  plants,  but  we  are  convinced  of  its  superiority  to  the 
old  mode.  The  delicate  roots  of  young  plants  are  very  suscepti- 
ble of  injury  by  change,  and  many  are  frequently  lost  by  the 
first  potting ;  this  risk  is  avoided  by  transplanting  the  seed  before 
the  first  radical  fibre  is  formed,  and  when,  being  in  the  act  of 
germination,  there  can  be  no  possible  danger  of  its  rotting,  which 
is  frequently  a  serious  objection  to  sowing  seeds  at  once  in  the 
open  ground.  The  trouble  and  risk  of  loss  occasioned  by  subse- 
quent re-pottings,  are  also  avoided,  and  the  plants  have,  by  this 
mode,  full  liberty  to  grow  as  luxuriantly  as  they  choose,  with 
only  the  slight  attention  required  by  watering  and  shading.  As 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 


the  plan  of  Rivers  is  materially  different,  we  will  give  his  direc- 
tions in  detail,  admitting,  at  the  same  time,  that,  under  some  cir- 
cumstances, it  may  be  preferable  to  that  we  have  detailed  above. 
"  The  heps  of  all  the  varieties  of  roses,  will,  in  general,  be  fully 
ripe  by  the  beginning  of  November  ;  they  should  then  be  gathered 
and  kept  entire,  in  a  flower-pot  filled  with  dry  sand,  carefully  guard- 
ed from  mice.  In  February,  or  by  the  first  week  in  March,  they 
must  be  broken  to  pieces  with  the  fingers,  and  sown  in  flower-pots, 
such  as  are  generally  used  for  sowing  seeds  in,  called  c  seed  pans  ;J 
but  for  rose  seeds  they  should  not  be  too  shallow  ;  nine  inches  in 
depth  will  be  enough.  These  should  be  nearly,  but  not  quite,  filled 
with  a  rich  compost  of  rotten  manure  and  sandy  loam,  or  peat  ; 
the  seeds  may  be  covered,  to  the  depth  of  about  half  an  inch, 
with  the  same  compost  ;  a  piece  of  kiln  wire  must  then  be  placed 
over  the  pot,  fitting  closely  at  the  rim,  so  as  to  prevent  the  in- 
gress of  mice,  which  are  passionately  fond  of  rose-seeds  ;  there 
must  be  space  enough  between  the  wire  and  the  mould  for  the 
young  plants  to  come  up  —  half  an  inch  will  probably  be  found 
enough  ;  the  pots  of  seed  must  never  be  placed  under  glass,  but 
kept  constantly  in  the  open  air,  in  a  full  sunny  exposure,  as  the 
wire  will  shade  the  mould  and  prevent  its  drying.  Water  should 
be  given  occasionally,  in  dry  weather.  The  young  plants  will 
perhaps  make  their  appearance  in  April  or  May,  but  very  often 
the  seed  does  not  vegetate  till  the  second  spring.  When  they 
have  made  their  '  rough  leaves,'  that  is,  when  they  have  three 
or  four  leaves,  exclusive  of  their  seed-leaves,  they  must  be  care- 
fully raised  with  the  point  of  a  narrow  pruning-knife,  potted  into 
small  pots,  and  placed  in  the  shade  ;  if  the  weather  is  very  hot 
and  dry,  they  may  be  covered  with  a  hand-glass  for  a  few  days. 
They  may  remain  in  those  pots  a  month,  and  then  be  planted 
out  into  a  rich  border  ;  by  the  end  of  August  those  that  are 
robust  growers  will  have  made  shoots  long  enough  for  budding." 
Until  the  plants  have  become  firmly  rooted,  and,  in  fact  through 
the  most  of  the  first  summer,  they  should  be  protected  from  the 
heat  of  the  sun  ;  a  cheap  mode  of  doing  this  is  to  put  up  rough 
posts,  connect  them  by  pieces  of  wood,  lay  rough  slats  across  these, 

16* 


186  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

and  cover  the  whole  with  straw  or  corn-stalks,  but  a  much  neater 
covering  is  a  good  canvass  awning,  supported  by  posts,  which 
can  be  taken  down  when  not  needed,  and  will  last  many  years. 
The  Bourbons  and  Bengals,  with  the  Teas  and  Noisettes,  will 
sometimes  bloom  the  first  season ;  but  as  the  piant  will  be  weak, 
a  correct  opinion  cannot  be  formed  of  its  character  until  the  sec- 
ond summer.  The  summer  roses,  or  those  which  bloom  only 
once  in  the  season,  never  show  bloom  until  their  third,  and  some- 
times not  until  their  fourth  and  fifth  year.  It  is  well  to  let  all  the 
plants  remain  in  the  seed-bed  until  the  fifth  year,  as  some  which 
prove  unpromising  at  first  may  result  in  something  really  good. 
All  that  prove  bad  the  fifth  year  can  be  marked  for  destruction,  or 
cut  down  to*  receive  the  buds  of  the  good  varieties.  In  order  to 
obtain  a  good  bloom  as  soon  as  possible,  it  is  well  to  have  ready 
some  strong  stocks  of  the  Greville,  Maheka,  or  any  other  free- 
growing  rose,  into  which  buds  can  be  inserted  of  any  of  the  seed- 
lings whose  habit  and  general  appearance  promise  good  flowers, 
and  whose  growth  has  been  sufficient  to  furnish  good  buds.  The 
next  spring  the  stock  should  be  cut  down  to  the  bud,  which  will 
then  make  luxuriant  shoots,  and  produce  flowers  the  same  sea- 
son, if  an  Everblooming  variety;  but  if  one  of  the  summer  roses, 
not  till  the  next  season.  The  third  spring  let  every  branch  be 
cut  down  to  three  or  four  eyes,  when  it  will  more  fully  develop 
its  character,  and  will  often  continue  improving  until  its  fifth  or 
sixth  year. 

The  first  winter,  the  young  plants  will  require  protection  from 
the  cold  by  some  kind  of  litter,  and  the  Bengal,  Tea,  and  Noi- 
sette varieties  will  always  need  it  during  the  winter.  Where 
there  are  any  plants  of  these  latter,  whose  habit  and  appearance 
promise  something  excellent,  they  can  be  potted  on  the  approach 
of  winter,  kept  in  a  cool  temperature,  free  from  frost,  and  re- 
planted again  in  the  spring. 

When  it  is  desired  that  the  young  plant  should  possess  the 
properties  of  two  well-known  flowers,  resort  is  had  to  artificial 
impregnation. 

Although  the  existence  of  sexuality  in  plants  appears  to  have 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  187 

been  knowm  to  the  ancients,  and  is  mentioned  not  only  by  Pliny, 
Claudian,  and  Theophrastus,  but  also  by  Ebu-Alwan,  in  a 
work  on  agriculture  written  originally  in  Chaldaic ;  yet  it  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  generally  admitted  by  botanists,  until  an- 
nounced by  Linnaeus  in  1731.  From  this  time  the  possibility  of 
the  existence  of  hybrid  plants  was  admitted,  and  Linnaeus,  with 
many  subsequent  authors,  published  observations  tending  to 
prove  that,  even  in  the  natural  state,  new  species  were  formed 
by  two  different  plants,  the  pistil  of  one  having  been  fecundated 
by  the  stamens  of  the  other.  This  impregnation  has  been  arti- 
ficially applied,  by  modern  cultivators,  to  the  production  of  new 
varieties  of  fruits  and  flowers.  With  the  Geranium,  Fuchsia, 
Paeony,  Pansy,  and  other  flowers,  it  has  produced  remarkable 
results.  The  mode  of  impregnating  the  Rose  artificially  has  been 
so  little  practised  with  us,  and  has  been  so  well  described  by 
Rivers,  that  we  prefer  detailing  the  process  in  his  own  words : 

"  When  it  is  desirable  the  qualities  of  a  favorite  rose  should 
preponderate,  the  petals  of  the  flower  to  be  fertilized  must  be 
opened  gently  with  the  fingers.  A  flower  that  will  expand  in 
the  morning,  should  be  opened  the  afternoon  or  evening  previous, 
and  the  anthers  all  removed  with  a  pair  of  pointed  scissors.  The 
following  morning,  when  this  flower  is  fully  expanded,  it  must 
be  fertilized  with  a  flower  of  some  variety  of  whose  qualities  it  is 
desired  to  have  seedlings  largely  partake.  It  requires  some 
watchfulness  to  open  the  petals  at  the  proper  time;  if  too 
soon,  the  petals  will  be  injured  in  forcing  them  open;  and  in  hot 
weather,  in  July,  if  delayed  only  an  hour  or  two,  the  anthers 
will  be  found  to  have  shed  their  pollen.  To  ascertain  precisely 
when  the  pollen  is  in  a  fit  state  for  transmission,  a  few  of  the 
anthers  should  be  gently  pressed  with  the  finger  and  thumb ;  if 
the  yellow  dust  adheres  to  them,  the  operation  may  be  performed  ; 
it  requires  close  examination  and  some  practice  to  know  when 
the  flower  to  be  operated  upon  is  in  a  fit  state  to  receive  the  pol- 
len ;  as  a  general  rule,  the  flowers  ought  to  be  in  the  same  state 
of  expansion,  or,  in  other  words,  about  the  same  age. 

To  exemplify  the  process,  we  will  suppose  that  a  climbing 


188  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

Moss-Rose,  with  red  or  crimson  flowers,  is  wished  for  :  the  flow- 
ers of  the  Blush  Ayrshire,  which  bear  seed  abundantly,  may  be- 
selected,  and  before  expansion,  the  anthers  removed  ;  the  follow- 
ing morning,  or  as  soon  after  the  operation  as  these  flowers  open, 
they  should  be  fertilized  with  those  of  the  Luxembourg  Moss ; 
if  the  operation  succeed,  seed  will  be  procured,  from  which,  the 
probability  is,  that  a  climbing  rose  will  be  produced  with  the 
hafcit  and  flowers  of  the  Moss-Rose,  or  at  least  an  approximation 
to  them.  I  mention  the  union  of  the  Moss  and  Ayrshire  Rose 
by  way  of  illustration,  and  merely  to  point  out  to  the  amateur* 
how  extensive  and  how  interesting  a  field  of  operations  is  open 
in  this  way.  I  ought  to  give  a  fact  that  has  occurred  in  my  own 
experience,  which  will  tell  better  with  the  sceptical  than  a  thou- 
sand anticipations.  About  four  years  since,  in  a  pan  of  seedling 
Moss-Roses,  was  one  with  a  most  peculiar  habit,  even  when  very 
young ;  this  has  since  proved  a  hybrid  rose,  partaking  much 
more  of  the  Scotch  Rose  than  of  any  other,  and  till  the  plant  ar- 
rived at  full  growth,  I  thought  it  a  Scotch  Rose,  the  seed  of  which 
had  by  accident  been  mixed  with  that  of  the  Moss-Rose,  although 
I  had  taken  extreme  care.  To  my  surprise  it  has  since  proved  a 
perfect  hybrid,  having  the  sepals  and  the  fruit  of  the  Provence 
Rose,  with  the  spiny  and  dwarf  habit  of  the  Scotch  Rose  ;  it  bears 
abundance  of  heps,  which  are  all  abortive.  The  difference  in 
the  fruit  of  the  Moss  and  Provence  Rose,  and  those  of  the 
Scotch,  is  very  remarkable ;  and  this  it  was  which  drew  my  par- 
ticular attention  to  the  plant  in  question.  It  was  raised  from  the 
same  seed,  and  in  the  same  seed-pan,  as  the  single  crimson  Moss- 
Rose.  As  this  strange  hybrid  came  from  a  Moss-Rose  acciden- 
tally fertilized,  we  may  expect  that  art  will  do  much  more  for  us. 
It  is  only  in  cases  where  it  is  wished  for  the  qualities  of  a 
particular  rose  to  predominate,  that  the  removal  of  the  anthers 
of  the  rose  to  be  fertilized  is  necessary :  thus,  if  a  yellow  climb- 
ing rose  is  desired  by  the  union  of  the  Yellow-Briar  with  the 
Ayrshire,  every  anther  should  be  removed  from  the  latter,  so  that 
it  is  fertilized  solely  with  the  pollen  of  the  former.  In  some 
cases,  where  it  is  desirable  to  have  the  qualities  of  both  parents 


CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE.  189 

in  an  equal  degree,  the  removal  of  the  anthers  must  not  take 
place:  thus  I  have  found,  by  removing  them  from  the  Luxem- 
bourg Moss,  and  fertilizing  that  rose  with  a  dark  variety  of  Rosa 
Gallica,  that  the  features  of  the  Moss-Rose  are  totally  lost  in  its 
offspring,  and  they  become  nearly  pure  varieties  of  the  former; 
but  if  the  anthers  of  the  Moss-Rose  are  left  untouched,  and  it  is 
fertilized  with  Rosa  Gallica,  interesting  hybrids  are  the  result, 
more  or  less  mossy.  This  seems  to  make  super-foetation  very 
probable ;  yet  Dr.  Lindley,  in  his  Theory  of  Horticulture,  thinks 
it  is  not  very  likely  to  occur." 

There  is  no  branch  of  rose  culture  possessing  more  interest  for 
the  amateur,  with  whose  leisure  its  prosecution  is  compatible. 
The  constant  care  and  attention  required,  in  order  to  ensure  suc- 
cess, place  it  in  a  great  measure  beyond  the  limits  of  a  large  com- 
mercial establishment.  The  great  desideratum  at  this  time  is  a 
double,  yellow,  climbing  rose.  If  the  Harrison  Rose  were  fertil- 
ized with  the  Q,ueen  of  the  Prairies,  or  the  latter  with  the  Solfa- 
terre  or  Chromatella,  a  rose  might  possibly  be  obtained  with  the 
rich  yellow  of  the  Harrison  Rose,  and  the  robust  habit  and  beau- 
tifully-formed flower  of  the  Queen  of  the  Prairies.  While,  how- 
ever, we  recommend  this  mode  of  artificial  impregnation,  we 
would  by  no  means  discourage  the  sowing  of  seeds  whose  flowers 
have  not  thus  been  fecundated.  The  seed  of  the  Harrison  Rose, 
or  of  any  of  the  yellow  roses,  may,  if  perseveringly  saved  from 
generation  to  generation,  produce  a  yellow  climbing  rose.  In 
fact,  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  among  all  the  reputed  hybrids, 
a  much  less  number  than  is  supposed  owe  their  origin  to  a  cross- 
ed fecundation.  It  is  a  fact  generally  admitted  by  botanists,  that 
all  varieties  of  plants  will  generally  produce  from  their  seed  plants 
entirely  dissimilar,  preserving  perhaps  some  peculiarities  of  their 
parents,  but  differing  in  many  essential  particulars.  This  is 
well  known  to  cultivators  in  the  instances  of  the  Pansy,  the 
Fuchsia,  the  Verbena,  and  other  plants  ;  and  that  it  is  also  the 
case  with  the  Rose,  is  evinced  by  an  experiment  of  the  French 
cultivator,  Guerin.  He  gathered  a  seed  vessel  from  a  rose  bush, 
the  Blower  of  which  had  only  partially  developed  itself,  and  the 


190  CULTURE    OF    THE    ROSE. 

pistil  of  which,  being  covered  by  the  petals,  could  not  have  been 
fecundated  by  its  own  stamens.  This  seed  when  sown  produced 
five  different  varieties.  It  will  thus  be  perceived  that,  in  the  sim- 
ple sowing  of  seeds,  where  there  is  a  dislike  to  the  trouble  of  ar- 
tificial impregnation,  there  is  a  wide  field  for  experiment  and  for 
successful  result.  But  to  those  who  have  the  leisure  and  the 
patience  to  transfer  from  one  plant  to  another  its  fertilizing  mat- 
ter, it  forms  a  pleasant  amusement,  with  rather  a  greater  proba- 
bility of  satisfactory  results.  In  either  case,  every  amateur  of 
roses  should  have  his  seed-plat ;  and  if,  out  of  a  thousand,  or  even 
five  thousand  roses,  he  should  obtain  one  good  variety,  and  differ- 
ing from  any  other  known,  he  will  be  conferring  an  important 
service  upon  rose-culture,  and  will  encourage  others  to  pursue 
the  same  course  until  we  shall  be  in  no  wise  behind  either  France 
or  England  in  this  interesting  branch  of  horticulture. 


CHAPTER    XV. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  ROSE. 

Brave  Rose,  alas,  whose  art  thou  1    In  thy  chair 
Where  thou  didst  lately  so  triumph  and  shine, 
A  worm  doth  sit,  whose  many  feet  and  hair 

Are  the  mofe  foul  the  more  thou  art  divine. 
This,  this  hath  done  it ;  this  did  bite  the  root 

And  bottom  of  the  leaves,  which,  when  the  wind 
Did  once  perceive,  it  blew  them  under  foot, 
Where  rude,  unhallow'd  steps  do  crush  and  grind 
Their  beauteous  glories.     Only  shreds  of  thee. 
And  those  all  bitten,  in  thy  chair  I  see. 

HERBERT. 

HE  diseases  to  which  the  Rose  is  liable  are 
generally  owing  either  to  the  presence  of 
various  Cryptogamse,  or  to  the  attacks  of 
certain  insects  whose  larvae  are  supported  at 
the  expense  of  the  plant.  The  Cryptogamse 
which  have  been  observed  upon  rose-bushes, 
and  which  infest  chiefly  the  Proving  and 
other  rough-leaved  roses,  are  the  following  : 

SPOROTRICUM  PULCHELLUM. — Dubuy.  Greenish  filaments  under  the 
leaves,  and  scarcely  visible. 

OIDIUM  LEUCONIUM. — Descemet.  Whitish  filaments  growing  on  the 
leaves  and  diseased  trunks. 

UREDO  PINGUIS. — Decandolle.  Small  orange-colored,  linear  plates 
growing  upon  the  fibres  of  the  petioles  of  the  leaves,  and  upon  the 
diseased  heps  or  fruit. 

UREDO  ROS.E. — Persoon.  Numerous  small  groups  of  a  pale-yellow 
color,  and  found  upon  the  leaves. 


192  DISEASES    OF   THE    ROSE. 

These  two  last  are  the  most  common  and  injurious  to  roses,  as  they 
frequently  cover  all  the  leaves.  The  most  effectual  mode  of  prevent- 
ing their  spreading  is,  to  cut  off  with  care  and  burn  all  the  infected 
branches,  which  will  sometimes  render  necessary  the  destruction  of 
the  whole  plant. 

PHRAGMIDIUM  INCRASSATUM. — Linkius.  (Puccinia  Rosa.)  Small, 
black  groups  under  diseased  leaves,  and  very  common. 

XYLOMA  ROS^E. — Decandolle.  Pustules  of  a  blackish  gray,  and  grow- 
ing on  the  bark  of  the  plant. 

ERYSIPHE  PANNOSA. — Linkius.  Numerous  white  filaments,  growing 
on  the  young  shoots,  leaves,  and  branches.  It  is  commonly  known  to 
gardeners  as  the  mildew,  and  is  very  destructive  to  the  health  and 
growth  of  the  plant.  It  is  a  very  troublesome  enemy  to  the  Rose,  and 
will  sometimes  put  at  defiance  every  application  for  its  destruction. 
The  most  effectual  is  smoking  with  sulphur,  rubbing  with  dry  flour 
of  sulphur,  or  syringing  with  sulphur  water.  The  former  should  only 
be  practised  by  a  skilful  hand,  as  too  much  sulphur-smoke  will  some- 
times entirely  kill  the  plant. 

CYTISPORA  LEUCOSPERMA. — Fries.  Small,  round,  white  points,  grow- 
ing upon  diseased  branches. 

HYSTERIUM  FOLIICOLUM. — Fries.  Small,  black,  oval  points,  with  a 
furrow  in  the  middle  ;  found  on  both  sides  of  diseased  leaves. 

SPHJDRIA  CLYPEATA. — Nees.  Black,  shining  tubercles ;  found  under 
the  epidermis  of  diseased  plants. 

SPH/ERIA  SEPINCOLA. — Fries.  Dull-black  tubercles ;  found  under 
the  epidermis  of  diseased  leaves. 

PHYSICIA  CILIARIS.  —  Decandolle.  PARHELIA  CANDELARIS.  —  Fries. 
Marks  on  the  wood  ofold  decaying  rose-bushes. 

The  insects  which  infest  the  Rose  are  quite  numerous,  and 
their  attacks  are  more  or  less  injurious.  Those  which  are  found 
on  the  plant  in  the  state  of  perfect  insects  are  comparatively 
harmless.  The  most  injurious  are  those  whose  larvae  feed  on 
the  leaves  and  pith  of  the  trunk  and  limbs,  and  thus  destroy  the 
plant ;  while  the  perfect  insect,  like  the  green  fly,  will  simply 
stop  the  growth  and  impair  the  health  of  the  tree,  by  fastening 
upon  the  green  and  tender  bark  of  the  young  shoots,  and  devour- 
ing the  sap.  The  history  of  most  of  these  is  very  little  known. 
The  classification  and  knowledge  of  their  characteristics  are 
well  understood  branches  of  Entomology,  but  there  is  a  want  of 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  .          193 


careful  observation  of  their  habits  and  modes  of  life,  especially 
while  in  their  larva  state.  It  is  highly  desirable  that  amateur 
cultivators  should  devote  more  time  to  the  study  of  Entomology, 
for  upon  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  habits  of  these 
minute  depredators  depends,  in  a  greater  degree  than  is  gene- 
rally supposed,  the  success  of  cultivation.  Our  own  leisure  is  so 
limited,  that  we  have  been  able  to  devote  very  little  time  to  this 
subject ;  and  we  can  find  no  work  that  treats  in  detail  the  in- 
insects  that  attack  the  Rose.  With  this  paucity  of  material, 
we  simply  give  a  list  of  the  principal,  in  the  hope  that  some 
one  will  improve  upon  it.  Our  authorities  are  mostly  Euro- 
pean, and  some  of  the  varieties  we  name  may  not  exist  in  this 
country. 

1.  SCARAB^EUS  AURATUS  of  Linnaus,  or  CETONIA  ATJRATA  of  modern  au- 

thors, sometimes  called  the  golden  fly.  This  insect  causes  a 
cessation  of  growth  in  the  plant,  and  may  be  easily  destroyed 
by  tobacco  smoke. 

2.  MELOLONTHA  VULGARIS. — Fabridus.    Common  May-bug.    It  is  some- 

times found  upon  the  leaves  of  the  rose-bush,  but  quite  as  fre- 
quently upon  those  of  many  other  plants. 

3.  CHRYSOMELA  BIPTJNCTATA. — Linnaus.     It  is  found  on  the  rose-bush 

occasionally,  and  does  it  no  injury. 

4.  BUPRESTIS  MANGA. — Linnaeus.     This,  like  the  preceding,  is  a  Cole- 

optera,  and  is  only  found  occasionally  on  the  Rose. 

5.  CICADA  SPUMARIA.  —  Linnaus.       This  insect   is   found   on   various 

plants,  and  not  exclusively  on  the  Rose. 

6.  CICADA  ROS.E,  or  JABSUS  ROS/E. — Fabridus.    This  insect,  commonly 

known  as  the  rose-grasshopper,  lives  upon  the  Rose  during  its 
three  states,  and  injures  it  by  draining  the  plant  of  its  sap. 

7.  APHIS  ROS^E. — Linnaus.     GREEN  FLY.     This  insect  is  a  scourge  to 

roses,  from  the  facility  of  its  reproduction,  and  its  numerous  pro- 
geny sometimes  entirely  cover  the  leaves,  the  young  sprouts, 
and  the  flower-buds.  Devouring  the  sap,  they  are  very  injurious, 
and,  when  numerous,  sometimes  destroy  the  plant,  while  they 
soil  every  part  on  which  they  collect.  The  most  common  species 
is  of  a  pale  green,  but  there  is  a  variety  of  a  dingy  yellow.  In 
Europe  they  are  commonly  called  vine-chafers.  Their  principal 
destroyers  are  small  birds,  but  they  have  other  enemies,  as  many 
small  hymenopteres  of  the  genus  Chalds  and  Cynips,  and  espe- 


194  DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE. 


cially  the  lairse  of  the  Cocci/idles  and  Hemerobes.  Those  of  the 
Hemerobius  Persa  of  Linnaeus  have  thus  received,  from  Reaumur 
and  Geoffrey,  tho  name  of  "  Lions  of  the  Vine-chafers}"1  They 
destroy  great  numbers  of  these  insects  every  day,  by  sucking 
their  substance,  and  then  fasten  the  skins  upon  their  own  backs, 
for  the  purpose  of  concealing  themselves  by  this  pile  from  the 
eyes  of  those  who  are  yet  to  become  their  victims.  The  first  eggs 
of  these  insects  are  deposited  in  the  autumn,  at  the  base  of  the 
buds,  and  are  hatched  in  the  early  part  of  the  following  spring. 
Generation  after  generation  are  then  rapidly  produced,  number- 
ing sometimes  eight  or  ten  before  autumn.  Reaumur  estimated 
that  a  single  Aphis  might  produce  six  thousand  millions  in  one 
summer.  The  first  hatching  can  be  prevented  by  washing  the 
plant  with  soft  soap  and  water,  or  with  whale-oil  soap,  before  the 
buds  commence  swelling.  When  the  plant  is  infested  with  them, 
it  can  be  washed  with  tobacco-water  and  then  rinsed  in  clean 
water.  If  in  a  house,  fumigation  with  tobacco  is  better.  An 
English  writer  recommends  washing  in  a  decoction  of  an  ounce 
of  quassia  and  a  quart  of  water,  as  a  very  effective  and  safe  rem- 
edy. Fumigation  is,  however,  the  most  thoroughly  searching 
remedy,  and  can  be  easily  applied  to  plants  in  the  open  air,  by 
means  of  an  empty  barrel  inverted  over  the  plant  and  a  pan  of 
burning  tobacco.  * 

8.  PHAL^XA  PAVONIA. — Linnaeus.     The  huge  caterpillar  of  this  large 

butterfly  may  occasionally  be  found  on  the  leaves  of  rose-bushes, 
but  lives  mostly  on  those  of  apple,  peach,  and  other  trees.  The 
same  remark  will  apply  to 

9.  PHAL^ENA  LIBATRIX. — Linnaeus. 

10.  PHAL^NA  FIMBRIA. — Linnaeus. 

11.  PHAL.ENA  BETULARIA. — Linnaeus. 

12.  PHAL^NA  ROSARIA. — Linnaeus.     Its  caterpillar  eats  and  rolls  up 

the  leaves  of  the  Rose,  as  do  also  those  of  the 

13.  PIJAL^NA  FORSKAL^ENA. — Linnaeus.     And  the 

14.  PHAL,ENA  CYNOSBATTELLA. — Linnaeus. 

15.  CYNIPS  ROS.E. — Linnaeus.      The  Cynips  of  the  Bedeguar.      The 

female  makes  a  hole  in  the  epidermis  of  the  branches  of  the  rose- 
bush, with  a  sort  of  auger  placed  at  the  extremity  of  the  oviduct, 
for  the  purpose  of  laying  her  eggs  under  the  bark.  This  puncture 
produces  the  fibrous  and  mossy  excrescence  found  on  plants  of 
the  Rose,  and  particularly  on  the  Dog  Rose  and  the  Sweet  Briar. 
Within  this  excrescence  are  found  the  larvae,  many  of  them  gath- 
ered in  one  mass.  They  dig  their  small,  round  cells,  and  thus 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  195 

pass  the  winter  in  a  chrysalis  state.  The  bedeguars  were  form- 
erly employed  in  medicine  as  astringents.  The  male  cynips  is 
distinguished  by  the  absence  of  a  tail. 

16.  CYNIPS  BICOLOR. — "Round,  prickly  galls,  of  a  reddish  color,  and 

rather  larger  than  a  pea,  may  often  be  seen  on  rose-bushes.  Each 
of  them  contains  a  single  grub,  and  this  in  due  time  turns  to  a 
gall-fly.  Its  head  and  thorax  are  black,  and  rough  with  numer- 
ous little  pits ;  its  hind-body  is  polished,  and,  with  the  legs,  of  a 
brownish  red  color.  It  is  a  large  insect  compared  with  the  size 
of  its  gall,  measuring  nearly  one-fifth  of  an  inch  in  length,  while 
the  diameter  of  its  gall,  not  including  the  prickles,  rarely  exceeds 
three-tenths  of  an  inch. 

17.  "  CYNIPS  DICHLOCERUS,  or  the  gall-fly  with  two-colored  antennae,  is 

of  a  brownish  red  or  cinnamon  color,  with  four  little  longitudinal 
grooves  on  the  top  of  the  thorax,  the  lower  part  of  the  antennae 
red,  and  the  remainder  black.  It  varies  in  being  darker  some- 
times, and  measures  from  one-eighth  to  three-sixteenths  of  an 
inch  in  length.  Great  numbers  of  these  gall-flies  are  bred  in  the 
irregular  woody  galls,  or  long  execresences,  of  the  stems  of  rose- 
bushes. 

18.  CYNIPS  SEMIPICEUS. — "  The  small  roots  of  rose-bushes,  and  of  other 

plants  of  the  same  family,  sometimes  produce  rounded,  warty, 
and  woody  knobs,  inhabited  Iby  numerous  gall-insects,  which,  in 
coming  out,  pierce  them  with  small  holes"  on  all  sides.  The 
winged  insects  closely  resemble  the  dark  varieties  of  the  preced- 
ing species  in  color,  and  in  the  little  furrows  on  the  thorax ;  but 
their  legs  are  rather  paler,  and  they  do  not  measure  more  than 
one-tenth  of  an  inch  in  length. 

19.  SELANDRIA  ROS^E. — "  The  saw-fly  of  the  rose,  which,  as  it  does  not 

seem  to  have  been  described  before,  may  be  called  Selandria  Rosa, 
from  its  favorite  plant,  so  nearly  resembles  the  slug-worm  saw-fly 
as  not  to  be  distinguished  therefrom  except  by  a  practised  ob- 
server. It  is  also  very  much  like  Selandria,  barda,  Vitis,  and 
pygmaa,  but  has  not  the  red  thorax  of  these  three  closely  al- 
lied species.  It  is  of  a  deep  and  shining  black  color.  The 
first  two  pairs  of  legs  are  brownish  gray  or  dirty  white,  except 
the  thighs  which  are  almost  entirely  black.  The  hind-legs  are 
black,  with  whitish  knees.  The  wings  are  smoky,  and  transpa- 
rent, with  dark  brown  veins,  and  a  brown  spot  near  the  middle 
of  the  edge  of  the  first  pair.  The  body  of  the  male  is  a  little 
more  than  three-twentieths  of  an  inch  long,  that  of  the  female 


196  DISEASES    OP    THE    ROSE. 

one-fifth  of  an  inch  or  more,  and  the  wings  expand  nearly  or  quite 
two-fifths  of  an  inch.  These  saw-flies  come  out  of  the  ground,  at 
various  times,  between  the  twentieth  of  May  and  the  middle  of 
June,  during  which  period  they  pair  and  lay  their  eggs.  The 
females  do  not  fly  much,  and  may  be  seen,  during  most  of  the 
day,  resting  on  the  leaves  ;  and,  when  touched,  they  draw  up 
their  legs,  and  fall  to  the  ground.  The  males  are  more  active, 
fly  from  one  rose-bush  to  another,  and  hover  around  their  slug- 
gish partners.  The  latter,  when  about  to  lay  their  eggs,  turn  a 
little  on  one  side,  unsheathe  their  saws,  and  thrust  them  oblique- 
ly into  the  skin  of  the  leaf,  depositing  in  each  incision  thus  made, 
a  single  egg.  The  young  begin  to  hatch  in  ten  days  or  a  fortnight 
after  the  eggs  are  laid.  They  may  sometimes  be  found  on  the 
leaves  as  early  as  the  first  of  June,  but  do  not  usually  appear  in 
considerable  numbers  till  the  twentieth  of  the  same  month.  How 
long  they  are  in  coming  to  maturity,  I  have  not  particularly  ob- 
served ;  but  the  period  of  their  existence  in  the  caterpillar  state 
probably  does  not  exceed  three  weeks.  They  somewhat  resemble 
the  young  of  the  saw-fly  in  form,  but  are  not  quite  so  convex. 
They  have  a  small,  round,  yellowish  head,  with  a  black  dot  on 
each  side  of  it,  and  are  provided  with  twenty-two  short  legs. 
The  body  is  green  above,  paler  at  the  sides,  and  yellowish 
beneath ;  and  it  is  soft,  and  almost  transparent  like  jelly.  The 
skin  of  the  back  is  transversely  wrinkled,  and  covered  with  mi- 
nute elevated  points ;  and  there  are  two  small,  triple-pointed 
warts  on  the  edge  of  the  first  ring,  immediately  behind  the  head. 
These  gelatinous  and  sluggish  creatures  eat  the  upper  surface  of 
the  leaf  in  large  irregular  patches,  leaving  the  veins  and  the  skin 
beneath  untouched ;  and  they  are  sometimes  so  thick  that 
not  a  leaf  on  the  bushes  is  spared  by  them,  and  the  whole  foliage 
looks  as  if  it  had  been  scorched  by  fire,  and  drops  off  soon  after- 
ward. They  cast  their  skins  several  times,  leaving  them  ex- 
tended and  fastened  on  the  leaves  ;  after  the  last  moulting  they 
lose  their  semi-transparent  and  greenish  color,  and  acquire  an 
opake  yellowish  hue.  They  then  leave  the  rose-bushes,  some  of 
them  slowly  creeping  down  the  stem,  and  others  rolling  up  and 
dropping  off,  especially  when  the  bushes  are  shaken  by  the  wind. 
Having  reached  the  ground,  they  burrow  to  the  depth  of  an  inch 
or  more  in  the  earth,  where  each  one  makes  for  itself  a  small  oval 
cell,  of  grains  of  earth,  cemented  with  a  little  gummy  silk.  Hav- 
ing finished  their  transformations,  and  turned  to  flies,  within 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  197 


their  cells,  they  come  out  of  the  ground  early  in  August,  and  lay 
their  eggs  for  a  second  brood  of  young.  These,  in  turn,  perform 
their  appointed  work  of  destruction  in  the  autumn  ;  they  then  go 
into  the  ground,  make  their  earthen  cells,  remain  therein  through- 
out the  winter,  and  appear  in  the  winged  form,  in  the  following 
spring  and  summer. 

"  During  several  years  past,  these  pernicious  vermin  have  infest- 
ed the  rose-bushes  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  and  have  proved  so 
injurious  to  them,  as  to  have  excited  the  attention  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Horticultural  Society,  by  whom  a  premium  of  one  hun- 
dred dollars,  for  the  most  successful  mode  of  destroying  these 
insects,  was  offered  in  the  summer  of  1840.  About  ten  years 
ago,  I  observed  them  in  gardens  in  Cambridge,  and  then  made 
myself  acquainted  with  their  transformations.  At  that  time  they 
had  not  reached  Milton,  my  former  place  of  residence,  and  have 
appeared  in  that  place  only  within  two  or  three  years.  They 
now  seem  to  be  gradually  extending  in  all  directions,  and  an  ef- 
fectual method  for  preserving  our  roses  from  their  attacks  has 
become  very  desirable  to  all  persons  who  set  any  value  on  this 
beautiful  ornament  of  our  gardens  and  shrubberies.  Showering 
or  syringing  the  bushes  with  a  liquor,  made  by  mixing  with  water 
the  juice  expressed  from  tobacco  by  tobacconists,  has  been  recom- 
mended ;  but  some  caution  is  necessary  in  making  this  mixture 
of  a  proper  strength,  for  if  too  strong  it  is  injurious  to  plants  ;  and 
the  experiment  does  not  seem,  as  yet,  to  have  been  conducted 
with  sufficient  care  to  insure  safety  and  success.  Dusting  lime 
over  the  plants  when  wet  with  dew  has  been  tried  and  found  of 
some  use ;  but  this  and  all  other  remedies  will  probably  yield  in 
efficacy  to  Mr.  Haggerston's  mixture  of  whale-oil  soap  and  water, 
in  the  proportion  of  two  pounds  of  the  soap  to  fifteen  gallons  of 
water.  Particular  directions,  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Haggerston  him- 
self, for  the  preparation  and  use  of  this  simple  and  cheap  appli- 
cation, may  be  found  in  the  "  Boston  Courier."  for  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  June,  1841,  and  also  in  most  of  our  agricultural  and  hor- 
ticultural journals  of  the  same  time.  The  utility  of  this  mixture 
has  already  been  repeatedly  mentioned  in  this  treatise,  and  it 
may  be  applied  in  other  cases  with  advantage.  Mr.  Haggerston 
finds  that  it  effectually  destroys  many  kinds  of  insects  ;  and  he 
particularly  mentions  plant-lice  of  various  kinds,  red  spiders, 
canker-worms,  and  a  little  jumping  insect  which  has  lately  been 
found  quite  as  hurtful  to  rose-bushes  as  the  slugs  or  young  o'f  the 
17* 


198 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE. 


saw-fly.  The  little  insect  alluded  to  has  been  mistaken  for  a 
species  of  Thrips  or  vine-fretter :  it  is,  however,  a  leaf-hopper,  or 
species  of  Tettigonia,  much  smaller  than  the  leaf-hopper  of  the 
grape-vine  ( Tettigonia  Vitis),  and,  like  the  leaf-hopper  of  the  bean, 
entirely  of  a  pale-green  color." — Harris. 

20.  TENTIIREDO  PAVIDA. — Linnceus.     The  larvae  of  both  these  last  are 

very  injurious  to  rose  plants. 

2 1 .  TENTIIREDO  USTULATA. — Linnceus.      The  real   tenthredo  j  and  has 

not  been  ascertained  to  be  injurious  to  roses. 

22.  TENTHREDO  CINCTA. — Linnceus.     The  larvae  of  this  insect  are  found 

upon  the  leaves  of  rose-bushes  in  autumn,  and  the  perfect  insect 
bores  holes  in  the  stem. 

23.  TENTHREDO  CYNOSBATI. — Linnceus. 

24.  TENTHREDO  ANNULATA. — Linnceus.     The  larvae  of  both  of  these  are 

found  on  the  leaves  of  the  Rose. 

25.  TENTHREDO  of  Merat,  see  page  000. 

Of  all  the  insect  enemies  of  the  Rose,  the  Tenthredo  tribe  is  the 
most  injurious.  After  they  reach  the  larvae  state  they  bury 
themselves  in  the  ground  to  undergo  their  metamorphosis,  from 
which  the  perfect  insect  does  not  emerge  till  the  following  year. 
The  Bedeguar  ichneumon  of  some  authors  is  the  same  as  No.  15. 
The  Diplolepe  bedeguar  of  Geoffrey,  is  also  a  synonyme  of  the 
same. 

26.  APIS  MELLIFJCA. — Linnceus.     The   honey-bee.     This  species,  like 

many  others  of  its  family,  is  frequently  found  upon  every  kind 
of  rose,  either  drawing  out  with  its  proboscis  the  honeyed  treasures 
secreted  in  the  nectarium,  or  gathering  with  its  feet  from  the 
stamens  the  pollen  for  its  wax. 

27.  MUSCA  PELLUCEUS. — Linnceus.     This  fly,  according  to  Geoffroy, 

also  lives  upon  rose-bushes. 

28.  MUSCA  NIGRA. — Linnceus.     Similar  to  the  preceding. 

29.  ACARUS  CROCEUS. — Linnceus.     According  to  Linnaeus,  this  insect 

lives  on  the  Rosa  Monstrosa,  sucking  the  sap  from  its  stems. 

30.  Coccus  Ros^:. — Merat.     A   species  of  caterpillar,  infesting  the 

bark  of  roses.  It  has  a  white  shell,  very  thin,  irregular,  and 
gathered  in  such  a  manner  as  to  cover  the  part  it  attacks,  which 
is  generally  near  the  point  of  the  stem.  Merat  has  not  yet  suf- 
ficiently distinguished  the  habits  of  this  insect  to  describe  it  with 
precision,  but  thinks  it  would  destroy  the  plant  upon  which  it 
.  happened  to  be  in  very  great  numbers.  Its  destruction  is  easy, 
by  merely  scraping  the  scales  with  the  back  of  a  pruning-knife. 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  199 

This  should  not  be  confounded  with  the  cryptogamic  miller,  or 
mildew,  which  it  somewhat  resembles  in  appearance. 

31.  TINEA  (ORNIX)  RHODOPHAGELLA. — Kollar.     The  Rose-Moth.     "In 

early  Spring,  as  soon  as  the  rose-bush  begins  to  bud,  a  very  dan- 
gerous enemy  to  the  growth  of  its  leaves  and  blossoms  arrives. 
It  is  the  more  to  be  dreaded  as,  from  its  smallness  and  peculiarity 
of  form,  it  is  easily  overlooked  by  the  gardener  or  amateur.  If 
the  new  leafshoots  are  closely  examined,  a  little  brownish  scale  is 
found  here  and  there  attached  to  them  ;  and  upon  nearer  inspec- 
tion, we  shall  be  convinced  that  it  is  a  little  case,  in  which  a  worm, 
the  larvae  of  a  small  moth,  is  concealed,  which  gnaws  the  tender 
shoots.  When  it  has  devoured  one  shoot,  it  removes  with  its 
house,  and  attacks  another  ;  and  thus,  in  a  short  time,  one  of  these 
larvae  can  strip  a  whole  branch  of  its  shoots.  The  larva  which 
lives  in  the  little  case,  is  only  a  few  lines  long ;  yellow,  with  a 
black  head,  and  black  spotted  collar.  It  undergoes  pupation  in 
its  case,  which  enlarges  from  time  to  time,  as  necessity  requires. 
The  moth  appears  at  the  end  of  May.  It  is  only  three  lines  long, 
carries  its  wings  very  close  to  its  body,  almost  wrapped  around  it. 
The  whole  body  is  silvery  shining  gray ;  the  upper  wings  strewed 
with  minute  black  dots,  deeply  fringed  at  the  posterior  edge  ;  the 
under  wings  are  narrow,  pointed,  with  very  long  fringes.  The 
moth  lays  her  eggs  in  May  on  the  buds  of  the  rose-trees,  and  the 
caterpillars  are  hatched  at  the  end  of  June ;  they  immediately 
form  for  themselves  small  cases  of  parts  of  the  leaves,  and  pass 
the  winter  in  them  at  the  root  of  the  rose-tree. 

"  The  only  certain  way  of  preserving  rose-trees  from  this  enemy, 
is  to  look  for  these  small  cases  in  early  spring,  before  any  foliage 
is  developed,  when  aji  experienced  eye,  which  has  been  accustomed 
to  observe  insects,  will  easily  discover  them.  They  must,  how- 
ever, be  crushed  immediately,  and  not  thrown  on  the  ground,  as, 
if  they  are,  they  will  re-ascend  the  rose-bush." — Kollar. 

32.  MELOLONTHA  SUBSPINOSA  of  Fabricius,  and  MACRODACTYLUS  SUP- 

SPINOSA  of  Latreille.  Common  Rose-bug.  Common  as  this  insect 
is  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  it  is  or  was  a  few  years  ago,  unknown 
in  the  northern  and  western  parts  of  Massachusetts,  in  New 
Hampshire,  and  in  Maine.  It  may,  therefore,  be  well  to  give  a 
brief  description  of  it.  This  beetle  measures  seven-twentieths 
of  an  inch  in  length.  Its  body  is  slender,  tapers  before  and  be- 
hind, and  is  entirely  covered  with  very  short  and  close  ashen- 
yellow  down  ;  the  thorax  is  long  and  narrow,  angularly  widened 


200  DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

in  the  middle  of  each  side,  which  suggested  the  name  subspinosa  or 
somewhat  spined  ;  the  legs  are  slender,  and  of  a  pale-red  color ;  the 
joints  of  the  feet  are  tipped  with  black,  and  are  very  long,  which 
caused  Latreille  to  call  the  genus  Macrodactylus,  that  is  long  toe,  or  long 
foot.  The  natural  history  of  the  rose-chafer,  one  of  the  greatest 
scourges  with  which  our  gardens  and  nurseries  have  been  afflicted,  was 
for  a  long  time  involved  in  mystery,  but  is  at  last  fully  cleared  up. 
The  prevalence  of  this  insect  on  the  rose,  and  its  annual  appearance 
coinciding  with  the  blossoming  of  that  flower,  have  gained  for  it  the 
popular  name  by  which  it  is  here  known.  For  some  time  after  they 
were  first  noticed,  rose-bugs  appeared  to  be  confined  to  their  favorite, 
the  blossoms  of  the  rose  ;  but  within  thirty  years  they  have  prodigiously 
increased  in  number,  have  attacked  at  random  various  kinds  of  plants 
in  swarms,  and  have  become  notorious  for  their  extensive  and  de- 
plorable ravages.  The  grape-vine  in  particular,  the  cherry,  plum, 
and  apple  trees,  have  annually  suffered  by  their  depredations  ;  many 
other  fruit-trees  and  shrubs,  garden  vegetables  and  corn,  and  even  the 
trees  of  the  forest  and  the  grass  of  the  fields,  have  been  laid  under 
contribution  by  these  indiscriminate  feeders,  by  whom  leaves,  flowers, 
and  fruits  are  alike  consumed.  The  unexpected  arrival  of  these  in- 
sects in  swarms,  at  their  first  coming,  and  their  sudden  disappear- 
ance, at  the  close  of  their  career,  are  remarkable  facts  in  their  history. 
They  come  forth  from  the  ground  during  the  second  week  in  June, 
or  about  the  time  of  the  blossoming  of  the  damask  rose,  and  remain 
from  thirty  to  forty  days.  At  the  end  of  this  period  the  males  become 
exhausted,  fall  to  the  ground,  and  perish,  while  the  females  enter  the 
earth,  lay  their  eggs,  return  to  the  surface,  and,  after  lingering  a  few 
days,  die  also.  The  eggs  laid  by  each  female  are  about  thirty  in  num- 
ber, and  are  deposited  from  one  to  four  inches  beneath  the  surface 
of  the  soil ;  they  are  nearly  globular,  whitish,  and  about  one-thirtieth 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  are  hatched  twenty  days  after  they  are 
laid.  The  young  larvae  begin  to  feed  on  such  tender  roots  as  are 
within  their  reach.  Like  other  grubs  of  the  Scarabasians,  when  not 
eating,  they  lie  upon-  the  side,  with  the  body  curved  so  that  the  head 
and  tail  are  nearly  in  contact ;  they  move  with  difficulty  on  a  level  sur- 
face, and  are  continually  falling  over  on  one  side  or  the  other,  ^hey 
attain  their  full  size  in  autumn,  being  then  nearly  three  quarters  of  an 
inch  long,  and  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  They  are  of  a 
yellowish  white  color,  with  a  tinge  of  blue  towards  the  hinder  extremity, 
which  is  thick  and  obtuse  or  rounded  ;  a  few  short  hairs  are  scattered  on 
the  surface  of  the  body ;  there  are  six  short  legs,  namely  a  pair  to  each 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  201 

of  the  first  three  rings  behind  the  head ;  and  the  latter  is  covered  with 
a  horny  shell  of  a  pale  rust  color.  In  October  they  descend  below  the 
reach  of  frost,  and  pass  the  winter  in  a  torpid  state.  In  the  spring  they 
approach  toward  the  surface,  and  each  one  forms  for  itself  a  little  cell 
of  an  oval  shape,  by  turning  round  a  great  many  times,  so  as  to  com- 
press the  earth  and  render  the  inside  of  the  cavity  hard  and  smooth. 
Within  this  cell  the  grub  is  transformed  to  a  pupa,  during  the  month 
of  May,  by  casting  off  its  skin,  which  is  pushed  downward  in  folds 
from  the  head  to  the  tail.  The  pupa  has  somewhat  the  form  of  the 
perfected  beetle ;  but  it  is  of  a  yellowish  white  color,  and  its  short 
stump-like  wings,  its  antennse,  and  its  legs  are  folded  .upon  the  breast, 
and  its  whole  body  is  inclosed  in  a  thin  film,  that  wraps  each  part  sepa- 
rately. During  the  month  of  June  this  filmy  skin  is  rent,  the  included 
beetle  withdraws  from  its  body  and  its  limbs,  bursts  open  its  earthen 
cell,  and  digs  its  way  to  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Thus  the  various 
changes,  from  the  egg  to  the  full  development  of  the  perfected  beetle, 
are  completed  within  the  space  of  one  year. 

"  Such  being  the  metamorphoses  and  habits  of  these  insects,  it  is  ev- 
ident that  we  cannot  attack  them  in  the  egg,  the  grub,  or  the  pupa 
state ;  the  enemy,  in  these  stages,  is  beyond  our  reach,  and  is  subject 
to  the  control  only  of  the  natural  but  unknown  means  appointed  by 
the  Author  of  Nature  to  keep  the  insect  tribes  in  check.  "When  they 
have  issued  from  their  subterranean  retreats,  and  have  congregated 
upon  our  vines,  trees,  and  other  vegetable  productions,  in  the  complete 
enjoyment  of  their  propensities,  we  must  unite  our  efforts  to  seize  and 
crush  the  invaders.  They  must  indeed  be  crushed,  scalded,  or  burned, 
to  deprive  them  of  life,  for  they  are  not  affected  by  any  of  the  applica- 
tions usually  found  destructive  to  other  insects.  Experience  has  proved 
the  utility  of  gathering  them  by  hand,  or  of  shaking  them  or  brushing 
them  from  the  plants  into  tin  vessels  containing  a  little  water.  They 
should  be  collected  daily  during  the  period  of  their  visitation,  and 
should  be  committed  to  the  flames,  or  killed  by  scalding  water.  The 
late  John  Lowell,  Esq.,  states,  that  in  1823,  he  discovered  on  a  solita- 
ry apple-tree,  the  rose-bugs  '  in  vast  numbers,  such  as  could  not  be 
described,  and  would  not  be  believed  if  they  were  described,  or  at  least 
none  but  an  ocular  witness  could  conceive  of  their  numbers.  Destruc- 
tion by  hand  was  out  of  the  question'  in  this  case.  He  put  sheets 
under  the  tree,  and  shook  them  down,  and  burned  them.  Dr.  Green, 
of  Mansfield,  whose  investigations  have  thrown  much  light  on  the  his- 
tory of  this  insect,  proposes  protecting  plants  with  millinet,  and  saya 
that  in  this  way  only  did  he  succeed  in  securing  his  grape-vines  from 


202  DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

depredation.  His  remarks  also  show  the  utility  of  gathering  them. 
'  Eighty-six  of  these  spoilers,'  says  he,  '  were  known  to  infest  a  single 
rose-bud,  and  were  crushed  with  one  grasp  .of  the  hand.'  Suppose,  as 
was  probably  the  case,  that  one-half  of  them  were  females ;  by  this 
destruction,  eight  hundred  eggs,  at  least,  were  prevented  from  becom- 
ing matured.  During  the  time  of  their  prevalence,  rose-bugs  are 
sometimes  found  in  immense  numbers  on  the  flowers  of  the  common 
white-weed,  or  ox-eye  daisy.  ( Chrysanthemum  leucanlhemum.)  a  worth- 
less plant,  which  has  come  to  us  from  Europe,  and  has  been  suffered 
to  overrun  our  pastures,  and  encroach  on  our  mowing  lands.  In  cer- 
tain cases  it  may  become  expedient  rapidly  to  mow  down  the  infested 
white-weed  in  dry  pastures,  and  consume  it  with  the  sluggish  rose- 
bugs  on  the  spot. 

"  Our  insect-eating  birds  undoubtedly  devour  many  of  these  insects, 
and  deserve  to  be  cherished  and  protected  for  their  services.  Rose- 
bugs  are  also  eaten  greedily  by  domesticated  fowls ;  and  when  they 
become  exhausted  and  fall  to  the  ground,  or  when  they  are  about  to 
lay  their  eggs,  they  are  destroyed  by  moles,  insects,  and  other  animals, 
which  lie  in  wait  to  seize  them.  Dr.  Green  informs  us,  that  a  species 
of  dragon-fly,  or  devil's  needle  devours  them.  He  also  says  that  an 
insect  which  he  calls  the  enemy  of  the  cut-worm,  probably  the  larva 
of  a  Carabus  or  predaceous  ground-beetle,  preys  on  the  grubs  of  the 
common  dor-bug.  Iu  France  the  golden  ground-beetle  (  Oarabus  au- 
ratus)  devours  the  female  dor  or  chafer  at  the  moment  when  she  is 
about  to  deposit  her  eggs.  I  have  taken  one  specimen  of  this  fine 
ground-beetle  in  Massachusetts,  and  we  have  several  other  kinds, 
equally  predaceous,  which  probably  contribute  to  check  the  increase 
of  our  native  Melolonthians." — Harris. 

A.  J.  Downing  recommends  the  use  of  open-mouthed  bottles,  half 
filled  (and  occasionally  renewed)  with  a  mixture  of  sweetened  water 
and  vinegar,  and  placed  about  the  plant.  He  also  recommends  pour- 
ing boiling  water  on  the  ground  under  the  bushes,  at  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  the  insects  and  before  their  wings  are  formed.  They 
nearly  all  rise  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  emerge  about  the 
same  time,  when  the  Damask  Rose  first  begins  to  open.  A  little  ob- 
servation will  enable  the  cultivator  to  seize  the  right  time  for  the 
scalding  operation.  Illustrating  this  difficulty  of  destroying  the  rose- 
bug,  a  correspondent  of  the  Horticulturist  tells  the  following  story  of 
one  of  his  neighbors  : 

"  One  of  my  very  good  neighbors,  and  one  of  the  best-informed  men  of  my  ac- 
quaintance, this  summer  undertook  to  '  fight  the  rose-bugs,'  a  hopeless  task  you'll 
say,  but  nevertheless  rendered  important  by  their  extraordinary  ravages ;  they 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  203 


have  been  more  numerous  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  this  year  than  we  have 
ever  known  them.  But  my  philosophical  neighbor  was  for  once  foiled.  His  ope- 
rations were  in  this  wise:  His  man  Pompey  and  himself  rose  early  to  enjoy  a 
savage  pleasure  in  conquering  their  hitherto  invincible  enemy.  Pomp  rolled  up 
his  sleeves  for  slaughter,  while  my  friend  pulled  on  a  pair  of  gloves.  To  it  they 
both  went,  and  in  an  hour  or  two,  or  ere  the  tuneful  breakfast  bell  had  called 
neighbor  W.  to  his  matutinal  repast,  a  bucket  full  of  these  coleoptera  had  been 
bagged.  '  Now,'  says  Pomp,  c  massa,  'spose  I  scald  'em.'  '  Oh  no,'  says  Phi- 
losophy ;  <  I'll  teach  them  to  trespass  on  my  manor,  the  varmint !'  So  he  went  to 
his  laboratory  and  brought  out  some  ounces  of  chloride  of  lime,  which,  dissolved, 
was  poured  over  the  active  mass  ;  they  were  then  buried,  and  Pomp  spanked  his 
spade  over  the  grave,  as  a  thing  done.  Philosophy  slept  well  that  night,  and  in 
the  morning  was  horrified  to  find  all  his  enemies  airing  their  wings  in  the  sun, 
having  had  a  resurrection,  which  astonished  my  friend,  but  did  not  Pomp,  who 
still  thinks  scalding  water  would  have  been  better." 

33.  BISTON  BETULARIUS.    Pepper  Moth.    "  This  moth  is  double-brooded, 

the  first  appearing  in  June,  and  the  second  in  September.  The 
eggs  of  the  June  brood  are  hatched  in  July,  and  continue  feed- 
ing until  the  last  week  of  August,  when  they  go  into  the  pupae 
state,  burying  themselves  in  the  ground,  and  the  perfect  moths 
appear  about  the  beginning  of  September.  The  eggs  of  the  au- 
tumn brood  are  laid  on  the  stems  of  the  rose-trees,  and  there 
remain  until  the  following  spring,  and  are  hatched  about  the 
time  of  the  expansion  of  the  leaves.  By  the  middle  of  May  they 
are  an  inch  long,  and  shortly  afterward  go  into  the  pupae  state, 
the  moth  appearing  about  the  beginning  or  toward  the  middle  of 
June.  The  caterpillars  are  grayish-brown,  with  a  faint-red 
line  down  the  centre  of  the  back.  In  some  seasons  they 
are  numerous ;  but  as  they  feed  only  on  the  rose-leaves  in  the 
season  of  luxuriant  growth,  the  injury  occasioned  by  tLom  is 
trifling.  The  perfect  moth  measures,  when  the  wings  are  ex- 
panded, an  inch  and  a  half:  all  the  wings  are  dirty-white,  cloud- 
ed with  pale-ash,  and  thickly  spotted  over  the  whole  insect  with 
black,  whence  the  name  '  Pepper  Moth.'" — Paxton. 

34.  HARPALYCE    FULVATA.      Barred   Yellow  Moth.      "  This  beautiful 

little  moth  appears  in  June,  and  may  be  caught  in  abundance  by 
beating  the  rose-bushes.  The  caterpillar  is  greenish-yellow,  with 
a  white  mark  bordered  by  a  darker  one  on  each  side.  It  feeds 
voraciously  on  the  leaves  of  the  rose-tree,  but  does  not  appear  to 
attack  the  buds.  The  parent  lays  her  eggs  in  July,  and  the 
caterpillars,  which  are  feeding  during  August  in  considerable 
quantities,  will  be  full  fed  early  in  September,  and  will  then  en- 
ter into  the  pupae  state,  burying  themselves  in  the  ground  and 


204 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE. 


forming  brown  cocoons.  The  perfect  moths  appear  the  following 
June.  The  wings  measure,  when  expanded,  about  an  inch  across. 
First  pair,  tawny  yellow,  with  a  deep,  broad  band  across  the 
centre ;  second  pair,  pale,  dull  yellow,  with  darker  margins." — 
Paxton. 

35.  ARGYA  ANTIQUA.  Common  Vaporer  Moth.  "  This  moth  does  no 
injury  to  the  rose-trees,  although  the  caterpillars  are  found  upon 
them  in  great  numbers." — Paxton. 

A  most  destructive  enemy  of  the  Rose  is  a  small  insect  of  the 
genus  Tenthredo,  respecting  which  very  little  is  known.  Dr. 
Merat,  a  French  writer,  describes  it  in  detail,  which  description 
we  translate  from  his  pamphlet,  in  the  hope  that  it  "may  be  of 
some  assistance  to  those  who  are  inclined  to  investigate  the  habits 
of  the  various  insects  which  infest  the  Rose. 

DESTRUCTION    OF   GROWING   ROSES   BY   THE   LARVA    OF    A   FOUR-WINGED    INSECT   OF 
THE    ANCIENT    GENUS    TENTHREDO,    BY    DR    MERAT. 

By  Dr.  Merat. 

The  malady  of  rose-trees  which  I  am  about  to  make  known  has  been  nowhere 
described.  Scarcely  any  traces  of  it  can  be  found  in  authors,  although  known,  by 
its  ravages,  to  professed  gardeners  and  some  Rose  amateurs.  That  which  I  am 
now  about  to  publish  is  the  result  of  five  years'  observation  made  in  my  own 
garden. 

fn  the  month  of  April,  if  the  temperature  should  happen  to  reach  twelve  or 
fifteen  degrees  of  Reaumur,  insects  which  are  supposed  to  be  flies,  hover  around 
the  rose-trees  then  just  beginning  to  sprout.  They  alight  on  the  growing  leaves, 
make  an  opening  at  the  arm-pit  of  one  of  them  by  the  use  of  a  kind  of  saw 
(whence  the  name  of  saw-fly),  which  the  female  thrusts  from  the  extremity  of  her 
abdomen,  and  deposits  in  it  an  egg,  or  more  probably  a  living  worm  (the  manner 
of  the  carnivorous  fly).  As  soon  as  this  is  done,  this  larva,  almost  imperceptible 
at  firstj  is  seen  to  excavate  a  hole  and  making  lodgment  in  it,  to  extend  a  small 
passage,  in  a  downward  direction,  into  the  stem  of  the  future  Rose,  which  passage 
it  enlarges  in  length  and  size,  and  then  makes  its  egress  through  another  opening, 
which  it  makes  in  the  lower  part  of  the  passage. 

The  appearance  of  the  saw-fly  does  not  occur  at  the  same  time  every  year.  It 
always  coincides  with  the  first  budding  of  the  rose-tree.  It  is  evident,  that  if  ic 
should  occur  before  that  time,  the  fly  would  perish  for  want  of  food,  and  without 
leaving  offspring,  an  accident  contrary  to  the  economy  of  nature.  If  the  develop- 
ment of  the  rose-trees  were  too  far  advanced,  the  insect,  which  is  very  weak,  could 
not  penetrate  the  sprouts,  on  account  of  their  having  become  too  hard,  and  it 
could  not,  therefore,  leave  offspring. 

I  note  here  the  date  of  the  appearance  of  these  insects  in  five  different  years: 
In  1840,  it  happened  on  the  5th  day  of  May;  in  I841%the  25th  of  April;  in  1842, 
the  15th  of  April;  in  1813,  the  31  of  April.  Respecting  this  last  and  very  early 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  205 

appearance,  I  should  state,  that  it  had  been  like  summer  weather  for  15  days, 
which  was  probably  the  cause  of  the  difference.  In  1844,  it  was  on  the  20th  of 
April. 

The  insect  makes  its  puncture  at  the  arm-pit  of  the  leaves  or  bracts,  growing 
on  the  sprouts  which  bear  the  flower.  This  support  or  stalk  is  more  juicy  and 
larger  than  that  which  bears  leaves  alone — and  is  thus  preferred  by  the  insect, 
although  the  leaf  stalk  is  by  no  means  exempted.  Thence  it  digs  a  passage, 
uses  the  tender  pulp  for  its  food,  in  the  same  way  with  many  other  insects. 

This  false  caterpillar,  as  naturalists  term  it  (they  regarding  as  the  true  those 
alone  which  become  butterflies,  having  five  or  six  eyes  on  each  side  of  the  head, 
etc.),  grows  in  length  for  about  12  or  15  days.  Imperceptible  at  first,  it  finally 
attains  from  three  to  six  lines  in  length,  by  a-half  line  or  more  in  thickness.  It 
eventually  assumes  the  green  color  of  the  leaves  of  the  rose-bush,  and  forms  one 
of  those  natural  harmonies  so  eloquently  described  by  Bernardin  de  Saint  Pierre. 
Its  body  is  smooth,  nearly  transparent,  cylindrical ;  its  head  is  globular  and  shin- 
ing, with  an  eye  on  each  side,  resembling  a  little  spot ;  its  mouth,  crosswise,  red- 
dish, and  more  deeply  colored  at  the  corners.  The  under  side  of  the  body  presents 
six  fore-feet,  and  next  to  these  nine  wrinkles  provided  each  with  two  nipples, 
which  appear  to  be  additional  or  hind-feet.  If  this  animal  is  viewed  in  an  artifi- 
cial light,  its  great  intestine  is  seen,  the  whole  length  of  the  body,  like  a  colored 
line.  Two  worms  sometimes  get  into  the  same  passage  of  the  stem.  This  hap- 
pens when  two  saw-flies  have  attacked  the  support  at  different  points,  and  meet 
in  the  same  passage.  They  become  poor  and  soon  die ;  but  it  is  a  rare  occurrence. 
At  other  times,  the  larva  perishes  when  there  is  but  one,  on  account  of  its  inability 
to  escape  from  the  passage,  by  reason  of  the  toughness  of  the  plant,  or  the  thick- 
ness the  wood  has  attained  since  its  entrance.  This  may,  perhaps,  be  one  cause 
of  the  decay  of  rose-plants.  The  ordinary  duration  of  its  stay  is  from  12  to  15 
days,  In  that  time  it  lives  protected  from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  OF  from  the  cold, 
very  much  at  ease  in  a  pliable  asylum,  whose  tender  pulp  serves  it  for  food. 

This  passage  is  from  eighteen  lines  to  two  inches  long.  Its  inside  is  smooth 
and  moulded,  as  it  were,  upon  the  form  of  the  false  caterpillar,  in  such  a  manner 
that  it  cannot  turn  round  in  it.  Upon  pressing  the  peduncles  between  the  fingers, 
it  will  be  perceived  that  they  are  fistular,  and  that  their  volume  is,  in  fact,  much 
greater  than  those  which  do  not  shelter  these  destructive  insects. 

The  larva  carries  away  the  remaining  excrement  by  means  of  the  entrance- 
opening,  to  which  it  ascends  backward,  as  it  cannot  turn  round  in  the  gallery. 
It  consists  of  small,  slightly  curved  cylinders.  The  insect  lays  it  in  a  little  heap, 
reddish,  at  first,  but  afterward  nearly  blackish,  which  is  perceptible  to  th%  naked 
eye,  and  reveals  to  the  somewhat  careful  observer  this  enemy  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful blossoms.  As  it  increases  in  size,  the  last  excrements  force  out  the  old,  and 
thus  the  little  heap  becomes  visible,  as  just  stated. 

The  hole  by  which  the  worms  escape,  is  in  proportion  to  their  size.  It  is 
usually  at  the  lower  part  of  the  passage  ;  but  is  sometimes  found  higher  up,  and 
sometimes  even  midway,  probably  because  the  animal  found  the  stem  thicker, 
harder  and  more  firm  at  the  bottom,  than  at  the  place  it  finally  selected  for  that 
purpose.  This  hole  is  evidence  of  its  dislodgment,  or  at  least  that  there  are  not 
two  inside,  as  sometimes  happens  ;  sometimes  the  passage  is  very  short,  because 
the  animal  was  so  poor  that  it  could  not  dig  farther. 

It  makes  egress,  as  I  have  described,  from  the  passage  where  it  was  nourished 
and  grew ;  but,  with  a  single  exception,  I  have  never  yet  been  able  to  catch  it  in 

18 


206  DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

the  act,  because  it  doubtless  does  it  in  the  night.  On  that  occasion  it  lets  itseli 
slide  to  the  earth  upon  a  thread  it  had  secreted  for  the  purpose ;  unfortunately,  I 
caught  it.  and  put  it  under  a  glass  with  some  rose-tree  leaves,  an  undoubted  mis- 
take— since,  having  attained  its  full  growth,  it  would  no  longer  eat,  and  utterly 
refused  the  leaves.  It  should  have  been  permitted  to  fall  entirely  to  the  ground, 
where  it  would  probably  have  enveloped  itself  in  a  casing  of  soft  network,  or  a 
shell,  as  it  did  under  the  glass,  and  have  been  changed  into  a  nymph  or  chrysalis 
to  come  forth  a  perfect  insect  the  next  spring. 

It  is  an  experiment  I  recommend  to  amateurs,  and  one  which  requires  great 
care.  It  is  the  only  means  in  our  power  of  ascertaining  the  veritable  insect  which 
produces  the  larva  so  destructive  to  roses. 

In  my  first  work,  I  attributed  this  larva  to  a  four-winged  insect  of  the  genus 
Tcnthredo,  and  named  it  Tenthrcdo  excavator,  thinking  it  new.  I  have  since 
ascertained — 1st,  not  only  that  it  was  not  a  new  species,  but  moreover  also,  that 
it  is  doubtful  whether  it  is  the  parent  of  this  larva — 3d,  that  this  red-fly,  as  the 
gardeners  call  it  (and  under  this  name  they  confound  many  different  species),  is 
the  Tenthredo  Roses  of  Panzius1 — 3d,  that  it  is  not  by  digging  in  the  peduncles 
that  it  injures  the  Rose,  but  by  boring  the  Rose  when  its  bud  is  large,  and  thus 
destroying  the  top  of  the  blossom,  which  withers,  and  is  partially  ruined  while  its 
peduncle  yet  remains  firm— since  it  destroys  the  Rose  alone,  which  it  pierces,  and 
sometimes  only  the  upper  part  of  that.  Upon  opening  these  altered  blossoms, 
worms  are  found  larger  than  those  which  pierce  the  peduncles,  and  which  are  the 
offspring  of  the  eggs  deposited  there.  Generally  the  larva  of  the  saw-fly  is  of  too 
large  a  size  by  far,  to  allow  of  the  supposition  that  it  is  the  same  insect,  as  is 
evident  from  the  figures  of  each  given  by  Reaumur. 

As  I  am  not  mathematically  certain  upon  this  subject,  1  recommend  the  study 
of  the  habits  of  the  saw-fly,  of  which  I  have  given  a  description  in  another  place, 
in  order  that  it  may  be  recognized.  I  will  hereafter  describe  the  white-footed 
Tenthredo,  supposed  with  more  reason  to  be  the  parent  of  the  larva,  which  exca- 
vates the  stem  that  bears  the  Rose. 

The  red-fly  of  the  gardeners,  the  Tenthredo  Rosa  of  Panzius,  and  the  Hylotoma 
Rosce  of  Fabricius,  is  a  four- winged  insect,  whose  generic  characters  are,  a  single 
radiated  cellule  and  four  cubitals  at  each  upper  or  superior  wing,  and  antennae 

1  More  than  sixty  species  of  the  ancient  genus  Tcnthredo  live  at  the  expense  of  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  rose-tree,  the  leaves,  blossoms,  fruit,  bark,  etc.  But  the  larvae  of 
the  saw-fly,  whose  ravages  I  have  described,  cause  more  than  three-fourths  of  the 
depredations,  and  it  is  therefore  important  to  distinguish  them. 

Reaumur  speaks  in  his  memoir es,  of  a  false  caterpillar  (tome  v.  p.  98,)  which  inocu- 
lates the  rose-tree,  and  gives  a  drawing  of  its  larvae  (pi.  x.),  also  of  the  altered  branches 
(same  pi,  f .  1  &  2).  It  is  not  thus  the  ravages  of  my  insect  show  themselves;  it  is 
probable,  as  Saint-Fargeau  thinks,  that  it  is  a  different  insect. 

Reaumur  (mem.  \.  102)  speaks  also  of  a  false  caterpillar  which  he  calls  Chenille 
bizarre,  on  account  of  its  raising  the  end  of  its  tail  like  a  serpent.  It  eats  the  leaves  of 
the  rose-tree  in  June,  July  and  August.  He  gives  a  drawing  of  this  larva  (pi.  xiv.  fig. 
1,  2,  3,)  and  the  fly  or  tenthredine  which  gives  it  birth,  (same  pi.  fig.  10.)  They  are 
seen  in  great  numbers  in  the  spring,  especially  in  moist  seasons.  The  rose-trees  in 
free  soil  are  sometimes  stripped  of  all  their  leaves,  of  which  there  remains  only  a  sieve, 
by  this  larva,  which  is  rarely  alone  on  a  leaf,  and  eats  its  sides  and  upper  part. 

Another  larva,  also  distinguished  by  the  same  naturalist  (pi.  xii.  f.  20,  21),  eats  the 
lower  part  of  the  leaf.  It  is  much  smaller.  Here  are  then  four  saw-flies,  the  two  of 
which  I  have  here  spoken  and  the  two  mentioned  in  the  text,  whose  larvae  commit 
most  havoc  on  rose-trees.  The  first,  however,  injure  only  the  leaves. 

The  worms  found  in  fruit  and  vegetables  are  almost  always  larvae  of  the  tenthre- 
dines.  • 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  207 

somewhat  resembling  a  club.  The  greater  part  of  its  body  is  red,  except  the 
head,  the  upper  part  of  the  thorax,  the  marginal  point  of  the  upper  wings,,  and 
the  circles  of  the  tarses,  which  are  all  black.  It  is  from  three  and  a-half  to  four 
lines  long,  by  one  in  thickness.  The  antennae  are  covered,  united,  but  not  articu- 
'lated.  Those  of  the  male  are  fine  hair :  their  wings  are  transparent,  thin  as  the 
peel  of  an  onion,  and  reticulated  by  close  lines ;  there  are  two  wings  near  the 
head,  called  the  superior — and  two  farther  removed,  called  the  inferior.  The  head 
is  quadrilateral  and  long,  the  eyes  long  and  whitish,  and  the  abdomen  seems  to 
confound  itself  with  the  thorax,  whose  shell,  black,  cordiform  and  swelling,  ter- 
minates with  a  yellow  color.  This  abdomen  has  nine  distinct  rings,  is  some- 
what compressed  downward ;  the  posterior  extremity  is  obtuse,  slit  longitudinally 
for  the  protrusion  of  the  saw  in  females,  crosswise  and  open  in  males. 

This  insect  flies  with  difficulty,  and  is  easily  caught  with  the  fingers  upon  the 
full-sized  leaves  of  the  rose-bush,  where  it  lies  all  day,  from  May  to  August.  Its 
appearance  is,  at  least,  fifteen  days  later  than  that  of  the  white-footed  fly.  But  it 
is  less  numerous  toward  the  end  of  the  season,  when  isolated  individuals  alone 
are  seen. 

The  white-footed  fly  comes  into  the  ancient  genus  Tenthredo  of  authors,  and 
of  Saint-Fargeau  particularly,  and  also  the  genus  Selandria  of  the  moderns.  Its 
abundance  at  the  time  the  rose-trees  are  attacked,  and  the  cessation  of  the  malady 
upon  its  disappearance,  give  reason  to  suppose,  with  a  degree  of  probability,  that 
they  are  the  cause  of  it.  This  genus  is  characterized  by  two  radiated  cellules  and 
four  cubitals.  unequal  aj,  the  superior  wings,  antennae  articulated  and  small  at  the 
end.  It  is  black  all  over,  except  the  feet,  which  are  pale  white.  It  is  one  and 
a  fourth  line  long,  and  a-fourth  in  thickness.  Its  antennae  have  nine  joints,  and 
are  somewhat  small  at  the  end.  The  wings  are  transparent,  very  thin,  with 
dusky  nervures,  and  completely  folded  on  each  other,  when  it  becomes  cold  by  a 
change  of  temperature.  Cold  does  not  always  injure  them.  On  the  seventeenth 
day  of  April,  1842,  the  temperature  was  at  two  degrees  of  Reaumur,  and  yet  I 
took  a  small  worm  out  of  the  arm-pit  of  the  leaves  of  one  of  my  rose-trees.  The 
superior  wings  are  nearer  to  the  head,  which  is  quadrilateral,  with  a  large  eye 
on  each  side.  The  abdomen  of  the  females  is  terminated  by  a  point  or  sort  of 
saw,  while  that  of  the  males  is  obtuse.  They  have  a  small  white  shell  on  the 
shoulders,  at  the  insertion  of  the  antennae.  The  feet  are  whitish,  excepting  in 
some  individual  the  moiety  of  the  thigh  nearest  the  abdomen,  which  is  black,  and 
appears  to  constitute  a  variety  of  this  insect.  In  this  species,  as  in  the  red-fly, 
females  are  but  one-tenth  the  size  of  the  males,  and  the  white-footed  are  twenty 
times  more  numerous,  and  one-half  less  than  the  red  species.  It  is  born  in  April, 
as  1  have  before  stated,  and  ceases  to  show  itself  about  a  month  after.  This  fly, 
which  is  perfectly  smooth,  does  not  appear  to  hatch  after  this  period.  At  least,  I 
have  not  observed  it  later,  while  I  have  seen  the  red-fly  most  of  the  year. 

In  the  cool  of  the  morning,  and  in  particular  localities,  the  white-footed-fly  is 
seen  to  form  whirlings  around  rose-trees.  Its  smallness  and  agility  make  it 
difficult  to  catch,  otherwise  than  with  a  net. 

I  have  sometimes  found  them  dead,  in  the  arm-pits  of  the  leaves,  probably 
after  they  had  laid  their  eggs. 

M.  Gescrin  Menneville,  to  whom  I  sent  this  white-footed-fly,  thinks  it  a  new 
species,  distinct  from  the  Selandria  albipes  (or  Tenthredo  morio\  and  the  Selandria, 
pallcscens  of  Gmclin.  lie  wishes  to  call  it  Selandria  Meratii;  but  I  prefer  to  give 
the  name  of  Excavator,  as  in  my  first  notice,  and  to  term  it  the  Selandria  Excava- 


208  DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

tor,  a  designation  which  gives  a  perfect  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  the  saw-fly 
destroys  roses. 

Whatsoever  may  be  the  species  of  saw-fly  which  gives  birth  to  the  Excavating 
worm,  a  point  on  which  there  is  not  yet  sufficient  knowledge  to  pronounce  with 
certainty,  its  ravages  are  prodigious,  and  now  well  known. 

As  gardens  are  more  exposed  to  the  sun,  more  airy,  less  shaded,  the  rose-trees 
are  less  injured  by  this  larva.  At  Paris,  most  of  those  pertaining  to  particular 
mansions  are  very  much  troubled,  and  mine  among  the  number.  Among  those 
connected  with  the  monuments  of  the  capitol,  "  Le  Jardin  des  Plantes"  is  most 
noted  for  its  damages — next  after  it.  the  "  Luxembourg"  and  the  "  Palais  Royal." 
The  "Tuilleries"  suffers  least.  In  these  large  establishments,  not  much,  if  any 
attention,  is  bestowed  on  it,  so  trifling  comparatively  is  the  injury. 

Our  false  caterpillar  attacks  the  four-season  rose-tree  more  particularly ;  the 
Centifolia,  whose  sprouts  are  large  and  tender ;  the  Pompon,  etc.  :  the  later  roses, 
as  the  Provence,  the  Frankfort,  etc.,  are  less  subject  to  it.  Those  grafted  on  high 
trunks,  especially  the  Bengals,  so  abundant  in  the  gardens  at  this  day,  resist  this 
injury  better,  on  account,  either  of  the  greater  solidity  of  their  tissue,  or  their 
sprouting  later  in  the  season.  The  moss-rose,  and  the  thorny  or  pimpernel  rose, 
are  rarely  molested ;  because  the  fly  cannot  easily  find  footing  to  introduce  her 
saw.  It  is  the  same  with  rose-trees  well  provided  with  vine-fretters,  although 
the  shrub  does  not  gain  much  by  it,  for  these  small  animals  destroy,  in  their  way, 
the  roses  on  the  peduncle,  by  heaping  themselves  upon  them. 

As  this  larva  is  not  seen  much  over  a  month,  the  remontant  or  perpetual  roses 
are  found  not  to  be  injured  by  it  at  all.  Thus  the  monthly,  or  four-season  rose 
sprouts  the  second  time,  while  the  centifolia  not  blooming  again,  does  not  possess 
the  same  advantage. 

The  damage  consists,  as  I  have  already  stated,  in  the  destruction  of  the  centre 
of  the  young  sprouts  of  the  rose-tree,  thus  depriving  them  of  the  organs  necessary 
to  their  growth.  The  ravages  of  this  enemy  cause  the  sprouts  to  wilt  and  droop 
towards  the  earth,  and  its  presence  can  be  thus  detected.  I  have  sometimes  seen 
the  whole  rose-tree  thus  affected.  More  than  three-fourths  of  the  sprouts  of  those 
in  the  free  soil  of  my  garden  have  been  destroyed  in  this  way  within  four  years, 
and  all  the  means  used  were  ineffectual  to  keep  the  insects  away. 

I  used  various  methods  in  succession,  with  the  hope  of  finding  a  remedy  for  this 
disaster.  I  endeavored  to  destroy  the  nymphs  or  chrysales,  before  their  hatching, 
thus :  1st,  I  scraped,  rubbed,  brushed,  washed,  etc.,  the  trunks  of  my  shrubs,  believ- 
ing, as  some  authors  also  do,  that  the  saw-fly  deposits  its  eggs  in  the  wrinkles  or 
crevices  of  the  bark,  as  it  is  the  nature  of  some  tenthreds,  and  all  in  vain  ;  in  fact, 
all  my  examinations  with  a  magnifying  glass  have  not  enabled  me  to  discover  a 
single  egg  on  the  bark  of  my  rose-trees :  2d,  I  have  cut  off  at  the  surface  of  the 
ground  in  the  latter  part  of  the  season,  these  same  trunks,  with  the  same  idea ; 
and  these  animal  devastators  have  yet  excavated  the  peduncles  of  my  roses :  3d, 
I  have  ploughed,  dug,  and  turned  up  the  earth  at  the  foot  of  my  rose-trees  before 
the  hatching  of  the  nymphs  of  the  saw-fly,  in  the  hope  that  they  would  be  laid 
there  when  the  worm  should  let  herself  down  upon  the  ground,  and  be  killed  by 
this  overturning  process,  but  without  effect:  4th,  I  have  placed  at  the  foot  of  rose- 
trees:  animal  carbon,  a  bitter  substance,  composed  of  pungent  and  stinging  mate- 
rials, without  any  favorable  result. 

All  these  attempts  at  destruction  are  entirely  useless,  when  the  fly  has  hatched 
and  deposited  her  larva  in  the  young  sprouts.  We  should  then  seek  to  destroy 


DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE.  209 

this  larva.  As  soon  as  it  is  perceived  in  April,  that  the  temperature  has  passed 
beyond  12  to  15  degrees,  and  that  the  rose-trees  put  forth  sprouts,  they  should  be 
examined  with  care.  Persons  having  good  eyes,  or  by  using  a  magnifying  glass, 
can  see  the  small  punctures  made  in  the  arm-pits  of  the  leaves,  by  the  saw  of  the 
fly,  and  if  they  are  sufficiently  fortunate  to  perceive  the  small  worm,  he  can  be 
taken  out  with  a  fine  long  needle,  or  simply  with  a  pin.  Sometimes  it  is  not 
discovered  until  some  little  time  after  it  has  commenced  digging.  It  is  not  then  too 
late  to  extract  it  by  the  same  process.  I  have  also  fitted  a  handle  to  a  long  needle, 
for  facilitating  the  extraction  of  the  worm  at  the  period  of  its  birth.  Its  appear- 
ance is  most  usually  indicated  by  the  small  heap  of  red  dust  at  the  mouth  of  the 
opening  at  which  it  entered.  The  point  of  the  needle  may  then  be  thrust  through 
the  hollowed  peduncle,  without  injury,  especially  if  the  needle  be  very  fine,  and 
the  ravage  far  advanced.  It  is  sufficient  to  crush  the  animal  by  pressing  the 
peduncle  between  the  fingers;  but  carefully,  lest  the  branch  should  be  destroyed 
at  the  same  time.  The  slightest  touch  destroys  this  feeble  worm.  But  if  the 
branch  be  already  considerably  injured,  which  may  be  known  by  its  drooping, 
there  is,  then,  no  longer,  any  remedy.  The  branch  must  be  cut  off,  particularly 
if  the  animal  is  yet  in  it,  which  is  indicated  by  the  absence  of  the  hole  for  egress. 
It  has,  in  most  cases,  already  escaped  when  the  havoc  has  advanced  to  that 
extent.  The  peduncles  of  rose-trees  may  be  hardened  by  piercing  them  with  a 
needle,  before  the  worm  penetrates  them.  A  cicatrice  growing  there  prevents  the 
digging  of  this  troublesome  guest,  and  stays  its  destructive  course. 

Notwithstanding  the  inefficiency  of  the  means  in  our  possession  to  accomplish 
it,  every  attempt  should  be  used  to  destroy  this  insect  in  its  perfect  state.  The 
most  simple  consists  in  pursuing  it  closely  with,  a  net.  A  hundred  an  hour  may 
be  caught  by  exercising  a  little  perseverance  in  the  pursuit.  I  imagined  I  might 
keep  the  saw-fly  from  the  rose-tree  by  covering  the  top  with  gauze.  In  spite  of 
all  my  precautions,  some  few,  at  least,  would  succeed  in  obtaining  entrance ; 
perhaps  I  was  too  late,  although  I  usually  did  it  before  the  development  of  the 
sprouts.  At  other  times,  if  I  were  so  fortunate  as  to  protect  them  from  the  saw- 
fly,  I  destroyed  my  rose-trees  by  depriving  them  of  air.  For  one  can  scarcely 
conceive  how  effectually  so  thin  a  net  prevents  its  approach,  or,  at  least,  its  circu- 
lation, as  may  be  seen  by  the  change  of  the  leaves  as  they  unfold.  Moreover, 
other  larvae,  the  false  caterpillar  particularly,  retreat,  in  great  numbers,  into  the 
parts  which  contain  them.  Another  difficulty  is,  that  this  experiment  can  be  made 
only  on  tree  roses,  which  have  trunks.  For  the  others  always  having  a  great 
quantity  of  branches,  render  their  complete  destruction  almost  impossible.  I  will 
here  state,  however,  that  when  I  have  put  gauze  around  rose-trees  which  the  saw- 
fly  had  already  attacked,  they  have  all  come  out  of  their  passage  and  escaped 
without  my  being  able  to  seize  one,  or  even  to  discover  where  they  made  their  exit. 

For  the  same  purpose  (protecting  rose-trees  from  the  saw-fly),  I  have  covered 
the  young  sprouts  with  oil  by  means  of  a  small  brush.  I  had  there  another  result. 
There  were  no  larvae,  but  I  had  destroyed  the  vegetation  of  my  rose-trees.  I 
ought,  however,  to  confess  that  I  have  not  persevered  in  this  kind  of  experiments. 
The  liquid  should  be  repeatedly  tried  and  varied.  For  one  may  possibly  be  dis- 
covered which  will  not  injure  the  vegetation,  at  the  same  time  that  it  will  expel 
the  insects.  Very  odorous  liquids  may  have  such  a  property.  Pure  water  does 
not  seem  to  disturb  them.  I  have  seen  rose-trees  utterly  destroyed  in  spite  of  an 
almost  continual  rain.  Perhaps  they  had  been  punctured  before  it  commenced. 

The  best  and  most  certain  preservative  of  rose-trees,  as  I  have  already  shown, 

18* 


210  DISEASES    OF    THE    ROSE. 

is  plenty  of  air,  free  access  of  sunshine  to  them,  absence  of  moisture;  and,  if 
possible,  the  entire  removal  of  overhanging  trees,  walls,  etc.  The  influence  of 
these  atmospherical  agents  hardens  the  texture  of  the  shrubs,  and  thus  renders 
them  impenetrable  to  these  insects.  In  addition  to  this,  their  indolence  and 
tenderness  makes  them  prefer  the  shade  for  laying  eggs,  which  seems  never  to  be 
done  but  in  darkness. 

On  terminating  this  little  work,  I  propose  to  leave  the  solution  of  several  points 
to  those  who  shall  continue  it : 

1st.  What  is  precisely  the  species  of  the  saw-fly,  whose  larva  commits  the 
havoc  I  have  described  1 

2d.  Is  that  the  true  white-footed  saw-fly,  which  I  have  designated  by  that  name. 

3d.  What  transformation  does  this  larva  undergo,  after  it  leaves  the  passage 
which  it  has  dug  7 

4th.  Does  it  belong  to  the  species  of  the  Selandria  Excavator  7 

5th.  Where  does  it  await  the  period  of  its  transformation  into  a  perfect  insect  *? 

We  have  enumerated  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  numerous 
insects  which  infest  the  rose,  and  in  the  absence  of  correct  infor- 
mation on  this  important  branch  of  floriculture,  it  is  much  to  be 
hoped  that  farther  investigations  will  be  made  by  men  of  leisure. 
As  an  instance  of  the  great  variety  of  these  insects,  a  French 
writer  remarks,  that  "  he  found  in  less  than  an  hour,  on  the  leaves 
of  two  species  only  of  the  Rose,  six  kinds  of  small  caterpillars,  all 
differing  from  each  other  in  the  number  of  their  feet,  the  color  of 
their  head  and  body,  and  the  lines  and  points  with  which  they  were 
marked.  Their  habits  were  all  apparently  the  same.  They 
lived  between  two  or  three  folds,  which  they  had  secured  in 
shape  by  the  films  of  their  silk.  Thus  enveloped  and  pro- 
tected, they  eat  the  leaf  until  it  is  wholly  or  at  least  partly  con- 
sumed. They  then  endeavor  to  establish  themselves  on  another 
leaf,  in  which  also  they  enwrap  themselves  and  consume  it  in 
the  same  manner.  The  plants  attacked  by  these  caterpillars  are 
known  by  their  ruffled  leaves,  partly  eaten  and  more  or  less  cov- 
ered with  silk."  The  writer  does  not  give  their  name,  nor  the 
result  of  any  experiments  for  their  destruction ;  he  merely  men- 
tions it,  as  an  instance  of  the  great  abundance  of  insects  on  almost 
every  plant.  Such  being  the  case,  there  is  abundant  room  for 
farther  observation  and  research. 


CLASSIFICATION. 


CHAPTER    XV 


BOTANICAL  CLASSIFICATION. 

HE  Rose  is  a  shrub  or  dwarf  tree,  with 
mostly  deciduous  foliage,  and  large,  beautiful 
and  fragrant  flowers.  Its  branches  are  slen- 
der, almost  always  armed  with  thorns,  thinly 
furnished  with  leaves,  and  usually  alternat- 
ing on  the  parent  stem.  Its  leaves  are 
usually  pinnate,  and  varying  in  color  and 
character,  from  the  rich,  dark  green  and  somewhat  rough  leaf  of 
La  Reine,  to  the  glossy  smoothness  and  rich  purple  edge  of 
Chromatella.  The  blossoms  are  variously  arranged  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  newly-formed  branches.  The  calyx  is  single  ana" 
tubular,  swelling  at  its  lower  part,  contracted  at  its  opening,  and 
divided  at  the  edge  into  five  lance-pointed  divisions,  whole  or 
pinnatified.  The  corolla  or  flower  is  inserted  at  the  mouth  of  the 
tube  of  the  calyx,  and  is  composed  of  five  heart-shaped  petals, 
which  constitute  the  Rose  in  its  single  or  natural  state.  The 
double  blossoms  are  formed  by  the  change  of  the  stamens  and 
pistils,  into  petals  or  flower  leaves,  shorter  than  those  of  the 
corolla.  The  fruit  or  seed  vessel  or  hep,  is  formed  by  the  tube  of 
the  calyx,  which  becomes  a  sort  of  plump,  juicy  berry,  globular 


212  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

or  oviform,  having  but  one  cell,  and  containing  numerous  small 
seeds  which  are  oval  or  globular,  and  surrounded  with  a  soft 
down.  The  wood  is  very  hard  and  compact,  and  of  fine  grain ; 
and  if  it  could  be  procured  of  sufficient  size,  would  serve  as  a 
substitute  for  box  in  many  kinds  of  manufacture.  Its  longevity 
is,  perhaps,  greater  than  that  of  any  other  shrub.  We  recol- 
lect seeing  a  rose-tree  near  an  old  castle  in  Stoke  Newington, 
England,  the  stem  of  which  was  of  immense  size,  and  indicated 
great  age.  "  There  is  a  rose-bush  flourishing  at  the  residence  of 
A.  Murray  Mcllvaine,  near  Bristol  (Perm.),  known  to  be  more 
than  a  hundred  years  old.  In  the  year  1742,  there  was  a  kitchen 
built,  which  encroached  on  the  corner  of  the  garden,  and  the 
masons  laid  the  corner-stone  with  great  care,  saying  "  it  was  a 
pity  to  destroy  so  pretty  a  bush."  Since  then  it  has  never  failed 
to  produce  a  profusion  of  roses,  shedding  -around  the  most  deli- 
cious of  all  perfumes.  Sometimes  it  has  climbed  for  years  over 
the  second-story  windows,  and  then  declined  by  degrees  to  the 
ordinary  height.  The  fifth  generation  is  now  regaled  with  its 
sweets." 

The  number  of  species  known  to  the  ancients,  was  small,  com- 
pared with  the  number  now  recognized  by  botanists.  Pliny,  with 
whom  we  find  the  most  detail  on  this  point,  says,  that  the  most 
esteemed  were  those  of  Prseneste  and  Peestum,  which  were  perhaps 
identical ;  those  of  Campania  and  Malta,  of  a  bright  red  color, 
and  having  but  twelve  petals ;  the  white  roses  of  Heraclea,  in 
Greece,  and  those  of  Alabande,  which  seem  to  be  identical  with 
•R.  centifolia.  According  to  the  Roman  naturalist  and  to  Theo- 
phrastus,  they  grew  naturally  on  Mount  Panga,  and  produced 
there  very  small  flowers ;  yet  the  inhabitants  of  Philippi  went 
there  to  obtain  them,  and  the  bushes  on  being  transplanted,  pro- 
duced much  improved  and  beautiful  roses.  Pliny  speaks  also  of 
some  other  species,  one  whose  flowers  were  single,  another  which 
he  terms  spinola,  and  also  that  of  Carthage,  which  bloomed  in 
winter.  Unfortunately,  all  that  we  find  in  his  works  on  this 
subject  is,  generally,  very  obscure,  and  it  is  difficult  to  compare 
many  he  has  described  with  those  known  at  the  present  day. 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  213 


Although  there  are  no  double  wild  roses  known  at  the  present 
day,  either  in  Europe  or  in  this  country,  yet  as  other  flowers 
have  been  found  double  in  a  wild  state,  it  is  not  impossible  that 
some  of  the  ancient  varieties  bore  double  flowers  in  their  native 
condition  in  the  fields.  Such  may  have  been  the  Centifolias, 
mentioned  by  Pliny  and  Theophrastus,  as  growing  upon  Mount 
Panga,  and  those  which  at  a  still  earlier  period,  according  to 
Herodotus,  grew  wild  in  Macedonia,  near  the  ancient  gardens  of 
Midas. 

The  poverty  in  description  which  we  have  observed  in  ancient 
writings,  and  their  comparatively  small  number  of  species,  extends 
also  to  a  much  later  day.  In  a  little  treatise  published  in  France 
in  1536,  a*nd  entitled  De  re  Hortensis  Libellus,  there  are  but  four 
species  mentioned,  and  scarcely  anything  concerning  their  cul- 
ture. An  Italian  work  published  in  1563,  mentions  only  eight 
species.  In  the  Florilegium  of  Sweet,  a  folia  volume  printed  at 
Frankfort  in  1612,  are  ten  very  coarse  representations  of  roses, 
but  with  no  indication  of  their  names. 

In  the  Paradisus  Terrestris  of  Parkinson,  a  folio  volume 
printed  at  London  in  1629,  some  twenty-four  species  are  men- 
tioned. Some  of  them  are  represented  by  figures  in  wood,  which 
are  very  coarse,  and  scarcely  allow  recognition  of  their  species. 
In  the  Jardinier  flollandois,  printed  at  Amsterdam  in  1 669,  are 
found  but  14  species  of  roses,  very  vaguely  described,  with 
scarcely  anything  on  culture. 

The  first  work  which  treated  of  roses  with  any  degree  of 
method,  is  that  of  La  Q,uintyne,  published  at  Paris  in  1&90,  and 
yet  its  details  of  the  different  species  and  varieties  do  not  occupy 
more  than  a  page  and  a  half,  while  twenty-one  pages  are  given 
to  the  culture  of  tulips  and  fifty  to  pinks.  While  he  describes 
225  varieties  of  pinks  and  413  tulips,  he  mentions  only  14 
species  and  varieties  of  roses.  For  a  century  subsequent  to  the 
publication  of  La  Q,uintyne's  work,  the  Rose  is  very  little  men- 
tioned, either  in  English  or  French  works,  and  there  is  nothing 
to  indicate  the  existence  at  that  time  of  many  species,  two  or 
three  only  being  required  for  medicine  and  perfumery.  Some  of 


214  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

the  English  collections,  however,  numbered  during  that  century 
some  22  distinct  species,  and  a  number  of  varieties.  In  1762, 
Linnaeus  was  acquainted  with  only  14  species.  In  1799,  Wil- 
denow,  in  his  Species  Plantarum,  mentioned  39  ;  and  Persoon,  a 
little  later,  reached  45  species  ;  De  Candolle,  in  his  Prodromus, 
&c.,  published  in  1825,  increased  the  number  to  146 ;  and  Don, 
in  1832,  makes  205  species.  If  to  these  are  added  those  which 
have  been  within  fifteen  years  discovered  in  the  Himalaya 
mountains,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  globe,  the  number  will 
be  greatly  increased. 

Many  of  those  enumerated  by  Don,  should  not,  in  truth,  be 
considered  distinct  species,  and  quite  a  number  are  nothing  more 
than  varieties.  In  fact,  roses  are  so  liable  to  pass  into  each  other, 
that  botanists  are  now  of  the  opinion  that  limits  between  what 
are  called  species  do  not  exist ;  a  fact  which  was  strongly  sus- 
pected by  Linnaeus,  when  he  said,  "  Species  limitibus  difncillime 
circumscribuntur,  et  forte  natura  non  eos  posuit." 

There  is  much  confusion  in  the  genus  Rosa,  and  in  the  best 
arrangement,  there  may  be  many  which  on  close  examination, 
would  scarcely  deserve  the  name  of  species.  The  best  scientific 
work  on  the  Rose,  is  th£  "  Monographia  Rosarum,"  by  Dr.  Lind- 
ley.  This  author  and  Loudon,  we  shall  follow  entirely  in  our 
botanical  classification.  The  latter  enumerates  several  other 
works  on  the  Rose,  which  are  not  within  our  reach. 

The  Rose  is  found  in  almost  every  part  of  the  northern  hemis- 
phere, between  the  19th  and  70th  degrees  of  latitude. 

CaptSin  Fremont,  in  his  description  of  the  Prairies  some  five 
hundred  miles  west  of  St.  Louis,  says — "  Every  where  the  Rose  is 
met  with,  and  reminds  us  of  cultivated  gardens  and  civilization. 
It  is  scattered  over  the  prairies  in  small  bouquets,  and,  when  glit- 
tering in  the  dews  and  waving  in  the  pleasant  breeze  of  the  early 
morning,  is  the  most  beautiful  of  the  prairie  flowers." 

It  is  found  from  the  mountains  of  Mexico  to  Hudson's  Bay, 
from  the  coast  of  Barbary  to  Sweden,  in  Lapland  and  Siberia, 
from  Spain  to  the  Indies,  China  and  Kamschatka.  "  In  Asia, 
half  the  species  have  been  found ;  of  the  thirty-nine  which  it 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  215 

produces,  eighteen  are  natives  of  the  Russian  dominions  and  the 
countries  adjacent.  Most  of  these  are  very  similar  to  the  Euro- 
pean portion  of  the  genus,  and  five  are  common  both  to  Europe 
and  Asia.  Of  the  remainder,  one,  which  is,  perhaps,  a  distinct 
genus,  has  been  discovered  in  Persia,  fifteen  in  China,  and  two 
of  the  latter,  with  four  others,  in  the  north  of  India,  &C.1 

We  shall  not  here  describe  all  the  species  mentioned  by  Lindley 
and  Loudon ;  but  only  those  possessing  some  distinct  character- 
istics. A  large  part  of  the  species  described  by  these  authors 
cannot  be  found  in  any  collection  in  this  country ;  and  in  fact, 
very  few  possess  any  interest  except  to  the  Botanist,  for  whose 
benefit  chiefly  is  this  classification. 

I.  FEROCES.     Lindl.  Mon.,  p.  3. 

Derivation.  From  ferox,  fierce :  in  reference  to  the  branches  being  thickly  beset  with 
prickles. 

Sect.  Char.  Branches  clothed  with  permanent  tomentum.  Fruit 
naked.  The  plants  contained  in  this  section  are  a  truly  natural  group  ; 
they  are  low  shrubs,  losing  their  leaves  early  in  autumn,  and  are  then 
remarkable  for  their  hoary  branches,  bristles,  and  numerous  prickles. 
Their  fruit  is  perfectly  smooth,  which  separates  them  from  the  next 
section,  in  which  the  fruit  is  downy.  Sepals  usually  toothed.  (Doris 
Mill,  2,  p.  565.) 

1.  R.  FEXROX  Lawr.     The  fiercely-prickled  Rose. 

Identification.     Lawr.  Ros.,  t.  42;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  565. 

Synonymes.  R.  Kamtschdtica  Red  Ros.,  1,  p.  47. ;  R.  kamschatica,  f£rox  Ser.  in  Dec. 
Prod.,  2,  p.  607:  R.  echinata  Dupont. 

'Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  all  alike  in  shape,  and  much  crowded.  Flowers  larr ",  red. 
Fruit  globose,  scarlet.  A  shrub,  a  native  of  Caucasus,  growing  to  the  height  of  3  ft.  or 
4  ft.,  and  flowering  in  July  and  August.  A  singular  shrub,  and  on  that  account  de*<?~v- 
ing  a  place  in  collections. 

&.  R.  (F.)  KAMTSCHA'TICA  Vent.    The  Kamtschatka  Rose. 

Identification.    Vent.  Gels.,  t.  67 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2.  p.  565. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  infra-stipular,  falcate,  large.  Leaves  opaque.  Flowers 
solitary,  deep  red.  Fruit  spherical,  scarlet,  less  than  that  of  R.  ferox.  (Don's  Mill., 
2,  p.  565.)  Native  of  Kamtschatka,  in  dry  rocky  places ,  growing  to  the  height  of  3  ft. 
or  4  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

II.  BRACTEATJ3. 

• 

Sect.  Char.  Branches  and  fruit  clothed  with  permanent  tomentum. 
This  section  is  readily  distinguished  from  the  last  by  the  woolliness  of 
the  fruit.  Leaves  dense,  usually  shining,  and  prickles  placed  under  the 
stipules  in  pairs.  Sepals  simple,  or  nearly  so.  (Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  565.) 

1  Monographia  Rosarum,  aurix. . 


216  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 


3.  R.  BRACTEAVTA  Weudl.     The  large-bracied  Rose. 

Identification.  Wendl.  Obs..  50 ;  Hort.  Herrenhaus.,  fasc.  4,  p.  7,  t.  22 :  Red.  Ros., 
1,  p.  35.,  ic. ;  Lindl.  Ros.  Mon.,  p.  10:  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  602;  Don's  Mill,  2,  p.  565. 

Synonyme.     Lord  Macartney's  Rose. 

Spec.  Char.,  <f*c.  Evergreen.  Branches  upright,  tomentose.  Prickles  stout, 
recurved,  in  many  instances  in  pairs.  Leaflets  5 — 9,  obovate,  subserrate,  coriace- 
ous, glossy,  glabrous.  Stipules  scarcely  attached  to  the  petiole,  bristle-shaped, 
but  fringed.  Flowers  solitary,  terminal,  white,  large.  Peduncles  and  calyxes 
tomentose.  Fruit  globose,  large,  orange-red.  (Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  602.)  Flowers 
showy,  pure  white,  solitary,  nearly  sessile.  Fruit  spherical,  orange-red.  Native 
of  China ;  growing  to  the  height  of  5  it.  or  6  ft.,  and  flowering  from  June  to  Octo- 
ber. A  very  ornamental  shrub,  evergreen,  with  large  white  flowers,  and  numerous 
bright  yellow  stamens  and  styles.  It  flowers  abundantly,  but  is  rather  tender. 
It  succeeds  best  when  trained  against  a  wall. 

4.  R.  (B.)  MICROPHT'LLA  Roxb.    The  small-leafleted  Rose. 

Identification.  Roxb.  Fl.  Ind.  ined.,  according  to  Lindl.  Rosar.  Monog.,  p.  9,  145, 
146;  Dec.  Prod.  2,  p.  602 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p:565. 

Synonyme.     Hoi-tong-hong,  Chinese. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Stem  almost  without  prickles.  Leaflets  glossy,  sharply  ser- 
rated, veiny  beneath,  with  densely  netted,  anastomosing  veins.  Stipules  very 
narrow,  unequal.  Flowers  double,  of  a  delicate  rose-color.  Calyx  densely  in- 
vested with  prickles.  Sepals  short,  broadly  ovate,  echinate,  ending  in  a  point. 
Prickles  having  at  the  base  two  longitudinal  furrows.  (Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  602.) 
Flowers  very  large,  double,  and  of  a  delicate  blush  color.  Native  of  China  ; 
growing  to  the  height  of  2  ft.  or  3  ft.,  and  flowering  from  August  to  October. 

5.  R.  (B.)  INVOLUCRAVTA  Roxb.     The  involucTed-conjmbed  Rose. 

Identification.  Roxb.  Fl.  Ind.  ined.,  according  to  Lindl.  Rosar.  Monog.,  p.  8;  Dec. 
Prod.,  2,  p.  602;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  505. 

Synonymes.  R.  Lindley^na  Tratt.  Ros.  2,  p.  190;  R.  paliistris  Buchan.  (Ham.) 
HISS.,  according  to  Lindl.  Rosar.  Monog.,  p.  8. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Shoots  long,  tender.  Branches  pale  brown,  tomentose,  scarcely 
prickly.  Leaflets  3 — 9,  elliptical-lanceolate,  tomentose  beneath.  Stipules  hardly  at- 
tached to  the  petiole,  bristle-like-fringed.  Flowers  terminal,  mostly  solitary,  white. 
Peduncles  and  calyxes  tomentose.  (Dec.  Prod.,  ii.  p.  602.)  Seringe  seems  to  consider 
this  as  a  variety  of  R.  bracteata.  It  is  a  native  of  Nepal  and  China,  with  white  flowers 
in  corymbs,  surrounded  by  three  or  four  approximate  leaves ;  grows  to  the  height  of 
3  ft.  or  4  ft. ;  and  flowers  in  June  and  July.  Plants  of  this  kind,  which  is  very  distin* 
both  in  its  foliage  and  its  flowers,  are  rare  in  collections.  Being  somewhat  tender,  it  is 
greatly  improved  in  growth  by  the  protection  of  a  wall,  on  which  it  makes  a  fine  ap- 
pearance. 

III.  CINXAMOME^J.     Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  13. 

Sect.  Char.  Plants  setigerous  or  unarmed,  bracteate.  Leaflets 
lanceolate  glandless.  Disk  thin,  never  thickened.  This  section  is 
distinguished  by  its  long  lanceolate  leaflets,  without  glands,  upright 
shoots,  and  compact  habit.  Red  flowers,  never  solitary,  except  by 
abortion,  and  always  supported  by  bracteas.  Round,  small,  red  fruit 
(soon  losing  its  long  narrow  sepals),  and  with  small,  smooth,  shining 
carpels.  The  shoots  are  usually  setigerous  next  the  ground  ;  but  rarely 
so  towards  the  apex,  except  in  one  or  two  instances.  R.  alpina  and 
R.  acicularis,  of  the  following  division,  sometimes  have  bracteas  ;  but 
their  sepals  never  fall  off  till  the  fruit  is  decayed.  Sepals  simple, 
entire,  or  nearly  so,  unless  when  mentioned  otherwise.  (Don's  Mill.,  2, 
p.  565.) 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  217 


6.  R.  LU^CIDA  Ehrh.     The  shining-leaved  Rose. 

Identification.  Ehrh.  Beitr.,  4,  p.  22 ;  Red.  and  Thor.  Ros.,  1,  p.  45,  ic. ;  Lindl.  Rosar. 
Monog.,  p.  17;  Jacq.  Fragin.,  t.  107,  f.  3  ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  602;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  565. 

Synonymcs.  R.  rubra  lucida  Rossig.  Ros.^  t.  7,  and  t.  25,  f.  1 ;  R.  lucida  Jacq.  Fragm., 
71 ;  Rose  Turneps ;  Rosier  a  Feuilles  de  Frene,  Fr. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  recurved,  or  none.  Leaflets  5 — 9,  lanceolate-ellip- 
tical, coriaceous,  bluntly  serrated,  glossy.  Stipules  dilated,  large,  finely  serrated, 
and  extended  as  far  as  to  the  leaflets.  Peduncles  somewhat  hispid.  Flowers  red, 
and  opening  late  in  the  season.  Sepals  almost  entire,  appendicled,  spreading. 
Fruit  oblately  globose,  a  little  hispid  or  glabrous,  scarlet.  (Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  602.) 
Flowers  red,  overtopped  by  the  leaves  and  young  branches.  Fruit  bright  red. 
A  native  of  North  America,  from  New  York  to  Carolina;  near  Boston,  in 
bogs,  and  on  the  edges  of  marshes,  and  in  Newfoundland.  Growing  from  the 
height  of  4  ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flowering  from  June  to  August.  A  handsome  species, 
on  account  of  its  shining  foliage,  and  one  which  is  very  hardy ;  but  the  flowers 
have  a  very  disagreeable  smell. 

7.  R.  (L.)  NI'TIDA   W.    The  glossy-leaved  Rose, 

Identification.  Willd.  Enum..  544 :  Lindl.  Rosar.  Monog.,  p.  13 ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2, 
p.  603;  Don's  Mill.  2,  p.  565. 

Synonymes.  R.  Reduteo.  rufescens  Thory  in  Red.  Ros.,  1.  p.  103,  ic. ;  the  dwarf 
Labrador  Rose. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Dwarf  and  reddish  in  aspect.  Stem  and  branches  almost  covered 
with  slender,  rather  equal  prickles.  Leaflets  5—9,  rather  rigid,  lanceolate,  glossy. 
Stipules  large,  finely  serrated,  extending  as  far  as  to  the  leaflets.  Flowers  red.  Pedun- 
cle bristly.  Sepals  spreading.  Fruit  bristly,  shining  and  scarlet.  (Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p. 
603.)  A  shrub,  a  native  of  Newfoundland,  beset  with  straight  red  spines.  Flowers 
deep  red.  Fruit  depressed,  spherical,  bright  scarlet ;  growing  to  the  height  of  2  ft.,  and 
flowerinff  from  June  to  August.  This  is  an  interesting  plant,  from  its  dwarf  stature, 
its  abundant  reddish  prickles,  its  glossy  leaves,  its  flowers,  and  its  fruit.  Seringe  seems 
to  think  it  a  variety  of  R.  lucida.  The  R.  nitida,  which  forms  No.  36.  in  Lodd.  Cat.,. 
ed.  1836,  is  a  variety  of  R.  ferox. 

8.  R.  (L.)  .tf.OpA  Bosc.    The  Tuimp-fruited  Rose. 

Identification.  Bosc.  Diet.  d'Agric.,  according  to  Poir.  Suppl.,  4,  p.  710;  Lindl. 
Rosar.  Monog.,  p.  15 ;  Red.  and  Thor.  Ros.,  2,  p.  7,  ic. ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  602:  Don's 
Mill.,  2,  p.  565. 

Synonymes.     R.  turgida  Pers.  Ench.,  2,  p.  49 ;  /?.  ,/raxinifolia  Dumont  in  Cours.  Dot. 

Spec.  Char.,  <frc.  Taller  than  R.  lucida,  and  spreading.  Branches  without 
prickles.  Leaflets  oblong,  undulate,  shining.  Fruit  hemispherical.  Closely 
allied  to  R.  lucida,  of  which  it  is  very  likely  a  variety.  (Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  602.) 
Petals  always  multiplied,  smaller  than  those  of  7?/lucida;  bright  red.  Fruit 
deep  red.  Sepals  compound.  Native  of  North  America,  in  the  warmer  States ; 
growing  from  3,  ft.  to  4  ft.  high,  and  flowering  from  June  to  August.  This  is 
only  known  in  its  double-flowered  state  in  British  gardens.  It  is  a  freely  growing, 
hardy  plant,  with  large  double  flowers,  and  is  desirable  both  in  flower-gardens 
and  shrubberies.  It  is  not  of  a  robust  habit,  but  forms  a  bush  about  3  ft.,  or  per- 
haps more,  in  height.  According  to  Dr.  Lindley,  this  rose  forms  a  taller  bush 
than  R.  lucida,  but  is  of  a  more  straggling  habit.  It  is,  he  says,  "  a  naked,  strag- 
gling briar,  with  scarcely  a  vestige  of  prickles  on  the  shoots;  its  flowers  are  on 
long  stalks,  the  mouth  of  the  fruit  is  so  wide,  that  the  fruit  itself  is  nearly  hemis- 
pherical ;  and  the  sepals  are  reflexed."  (Ros.  Monog.,  p.  16.) 

9.  JR.  WOO'DSII  Lindl.    Wood's  Rose. 

"identification.     Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  21 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  566. 

Synonyme.     R  lutea  nigra  Pronv.  Nom.,  p.  24. 

Spec.  Char.  <f*c.  Stipules  and  sepals  conhivent.  Leaflets  oblong,  obtuse,  glabrous. 
(Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  566.)  A  low  shrub  with  dull,  dark  branches.  Flowers  pink.  Fruit 
ovate,  naked.  There  is  a  plant  which  was  gathered  about  Cumberland  House  Fort, 
which  Mr.  Borrer  takes  to  be  a  variety  of  the  present  species,  having  the  leaves  downy 
beneath.  A  native  of  North  America,  near  the  Missouri,  and  north  of  the  Saskatcha- 

19 


218  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 


wan,  and  as  far  as  the  Bear  Lake  :  growing  to  the  height  of  2  ft.  or  3  ft.,  and  flowering 
from  March  to  June. 

10.  R.  FRUTETOXRUM  JBess.    The  Coppice  Rose. 

Identification.    Bess,  ex  Spreng.  Syst.  2,  p.  548;  Don's  Mill.,  2.  p.  565. 

Spec.  C/iar.,  fyc.  Prickles  almost  stipular,  strong,  reflexed.  Petioles  unarmed,  and, 
as  well  as  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves,  villous.  Leaflets  elliptic.  Peduncles  very 
short,  glabrous.  Fruit  globose,  glabrous.  (Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  565.)  Native  of  Volhy- 
nia  ;  growing  to  the  height  of  from  5  ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

11.  JR.  CAROLINA  Lin.    The  Carolina  Rose. 

Identification.     Lin.   Sp.,  703  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  566. 

Synonymes.  R.  virginiana  Du  Roi  Harbk.,  2,  p.  353:  Rossing.  Ros.,  t.  13:  R. 
paliistris  Marsh.  Arbr.,  135;  R.  corymbosa  Ehrh.  JBeitr.,  4,  p.  21;  R.  pennsylva"nica 
Mich.  Fl.  Dor.  Amer.,  1,  p.  296 ;  R.  Hudsonidna  Red.  Ros.,  1,  p.  95.  t.  35 ;  R.  carolia- 
na  JBigel.  Fl.  Host.,  121. 

Spec.  Char.,  <$*c.  Stipules  convolute.  Leaflets  lanceolate.  Sepals  spreading,  (Don's 
Mill.,  2,  p.  566.)  Branches  green,  or  reddish  brown.  Cymes  1-  or  many-flowered. 
Flowers  crimson.  Petals  concave  or  flat,  crumpled.  Fruit  round,  scarlet,  hispid. 
Sometimes  the  ends  of  the  shoots  have  no  prickles.  Native  of  New  England,  Virgin- 
ia, and  Canada  as  far  as  the  Saskatchewan;  growing  to  the  height  of  from  2  ft.  to  8  ft., 
and  flowering  in  June  and  July.  As  the  name  of  R.  paliistris  imports,  it  grows  best  in 
a  marshy  soil. 

12.  R.  LINDLEVYI  Spreng.    Lindley's  Carolina  Rose. 

Identification.    Spreng.  Syst.,  2,  p.  647;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  565. 

Synonymes.  R.  laxa  Lindl.  Ros.,  18,  t.  3 ;  R.  Carolina  Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  ed  2,  vol. 
3,  p.  260 ;  R.  Carolina  pimpinellifolia  Andr.  Ros.,  with  a  figure. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Diffuse.  Branches  twiggy,  almost  unarmed.  Leaflets  oblong  un- 
dulated, opaque,  glaucescent.  A  spreading  shrub,  with  reddish-brown  branches.  Flow- 
ers rose-colored,  growing  usually  in  pairs.  Native  of  North  America.  In  cultiva- 
tion, growing  from  3  ft.  to  4  ft.  high ;  and  flowering  in  July  and  August. 

13.  R.  PARVIFLOVRA  Ehr.     The  small-flowered,  or  Pennsylvanian,  Rose. 

Identification.  Ehrh.  Beitr.,  4,  p.  21 ;  Du  Roi  Harbk.,  2,  p.  354 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2, 
p.  555. 

Synonymes.  R.  humilis  Marsh.  Arb.,  136  ;  R  caroliniana  Mich.  Fl.  Bor.  Amer., 
1,  p.  295 :  R.  caroli  y  et  6  Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  ed.  2,  vol.  3,  p.  260 ;  Pennsylvanian  Rose 
Lawr.  Ros.  t.  3,  et  t.  66,  and  of  the  nurseries. 

Spec.  Char.,  tf-c.  Dwarf.  Stipules  linear.  Prickles  acicular.  Leaflets  lanceolate, 
smoothish.  sharply  serrated.  Calyxes  clammy.  A  very  low,  weak  plant.  Flowers 
pale  blush,  usually  growing  by  pairs.  It  is  a  native  of  North  America,  on  the  declivi- 
ties of  hills,  in  the  States  of  New  York  and  Carolina,  where  it  grows  to  the  height  of 
2  ft.,  flowering  from  June  till  August. 

14.  R.  FRAXINIFOVLIA  Bork,     The  Ash-leaved  Rose. 

Identification.    Bork.  Holz.,  301 ;  Ker  Bot.  Reg.,  t.  458 ;  Don's  Mill ,  2,  p  566. 

Synonymes.  R.  virginiana  Mill.  Diet.,  No.  10;  R.  blanda  a  Sol.  MSS.,  Jacq.  Fragm., 
70,  t.  105;  R.  corymbosa  Bosc  Diet.  d'Agri.  ex  Desf.  Cat.  Hort.  Par.,  p.  272?';  R. 
alpina  /?  Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  ed.  2,  vol.  3,  p.  265.  R.  alpina  teVis  Red.  Ros.,  1,  p.  57 ; 
Lawr.  Ros.,  t.  75. 

Spec.  Char.,  tf*c.  Tall,  unarmed.  Branches  straight,  glaucescent.  Leaflets  opaque, 
undulated,  and  glabrous.  Branches  dark  purple,  with  a  pale  blue  bloom.  Flowers 
small,  red,  in  few-flowered  cymes.  Fruit  naked,  small-round  or  ovate,  of  a  dull,  pale 
red.  A  native  of  Newfoundland,  and  on  the  north-west  coast  of  America ;  growing  to 
the  height  of  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  May  and  June. 

15.  R.  CINNAMOXMEA  Besl.    The  Cinnamon-scented  Rose. 

.  Identification.  Besl.  Hort.  Eyst.  Vern,  Ord.,  6,  p.  5;  Lin.  Sp.,  703;  Don's  Mill., 
T2,  p.  566. 

Synonymes.  R.  foecundissima  Munch.  Hausv.,  5,  p.  279;  Fl.  Dan.,  t.  1214;  R. 
majalis  Herm.  Diss.,  8. 

Spec.  Char.,  <f-c.  Tall,  cinerous.  Branches  straight.  Prickles  s'tipular,  straightish. 
Stipules  dilated,  undulated.  Leaflets  oblong,  obtuse,  wrinkled,  tomentose  beneath. 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  219 

Flowers  solitary,  or  2 — 3  together,  pale  or  bright  red.  Fruit  round,  naked,  and  crimson. 
The  double-flowered  variety  is  most  common  in  gardens.  A  native  of  most  parts  of  Eu- 
rope. Growing  to  the  height  of  5  ft.  or  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  May  and  June.  A  very 
desirable  sort,  on  account  of  its  fragrance,  which  resembles  that  of  cinnamon.  There  is  a 
semi-double  variety ;  and  the  single  state  is  supposed  to  be  identical  with  R.  majalis 
below. 

16.  R.  MAJAVLIS  Retz.     The  May  Rose. 

Identification.    Retz.  Obs.  Bot.,  3,  p.  33;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  566. 

Synonymes.  R.  mutica  Fl.  Dan.,  688 ;  R.  spinosissima  Gorier.  Ingr.,  78 ;  R.  CQ\- 
lincola  Elirh.  Beitr.,  2,  p.  70  ;  R.  cinnamdmea  Eng.  Dot.,  2388. 

Spec.  Char.,  tf*c.  Dwarf,  grey.  Branches  straight,  colored.  Prickles  scattered, 
nearly  equal.  Stipules  linear.  Leaflets  oblong,  flat,  glaucous,  and  tomentose  beneath. 
Flowers  usually  solitary,  pale  red.  Fruit  orange  red,  spherical,  and  naked.  Native 
of  Sweden  and  Lapland;  and  of  Britain  near  Pontefract,  in  Yorkshire  ;  growing  to  the 
height  of  from  3  ft.  to  4  ft.,  and  flowering  in  May  and  June.  This  is  supposed  by  some 
to  be  the  single  state  of  R.  cinnamomea. 

17.  R.  DICKSONIAXNA  Lindl.    Dickson's  Rose. 

Identification.  Lindl.  Hort.  Trans..  7,  p.  224 ;  Syn.  Brit.  Fl.,  ed.  2.  p.  99 ;  Don's 
Mill.,  2,  p.  566. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Branches  flexuous,  setigerous,  armed  with  a  few  slender,  scattered 
prickles.  Leaflets  folded  together,  unequal,  with  coarse  double  serratures.  Stipules, 
petioles,  and  sepals  compound.  Styles  stretched  out,  glabrous.  Flowers  white.  Na- 
tive of  Ireland ;  growing  to  the  height  of  from  5  ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and 
July. 

18.  R.  TAU'RICA  Bieb.    The  Taurian  Rose. 

Identification.    Bieb.  PL  Taur.,  1,  p.  394  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  566. 

Spec.  Cliar.,  fyc.  Tall,  cinerous.  Prickles  scattered,  weak.  Branches  straight,  un- 
armed toward  the  apex.  Leaflets  oblong,  wrinkled,  villous  beneath.  Sepals  com- 
pound. Styles  stretched  out,  glabrous.  Habit  of  R.  cinnamomea.  Flowers  red.  Na- 
tive of  Tauria,  in  bushy  places ;  growing  to  the  height  of  from  5  ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flower- 
ing in  June  and  July. 

19.  R.  DAHUNRICA  Pall.    The  Dahurian  Rose. 

Identification.    Pall.  Fl.  Ros.,  p.  61 ;  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  32 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  566. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Tall,  much  branched.  Branches  slender,  colored.  Prickles  stip- 
ular,  spreading,  a  little  recurved.  Stipules  linear.  Leaflets  oblong,  wrinkled,  tomen- 
tose beneath,  deeply  serrated.  Flowers  red.  Fruit  ovate,  red.  Native  of  Dahuria  and 
Mongol  Tartary,  in  birch  woods  ;  growing  to  the  height  of  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flow- 
ering in  May  and  June. 

IV.  PIMPINEL,L<IFOxI,IjE.     Lindl. 

Sect.  ChcCr.,  <SfG.  Plants  bearing  crowded,  nearly  equal,  prickles,  or 
unarmed.  Bractless,  rarely  bracteate.  Leaflets  ovate  or  oblong.  Se- 
pals connivent,  permanent.  Disk  almost  wanting.  This  section  is 
essentially  different  from  the  last  in  habit,  but  in  artificial  characters 
they  approach  very  nearly.  It,  however,  may  be  distinguished  by  the 
greater  number  of  leaflets  ;  .which  vary  from  7  to  13,  and  even  to  15, 
instead  of  from  5  to  7.  The  flowers  are  also  universally  without 
bracteas  ;  except  in  the  R.  alpina,  R.  Sabim,  R.  Douidna,  and,  per- 
haps, R.  marginata.  These  having  connivent  permanent  sepals,  can- 
not be  confounded  with  the  preceding  division  j  nor,  on  account  of 
their  disk,  with  the  following.  There  is  no  instance  of  stipular  prickles 
in  the  present  tribe.  The  sepals  are  entire,  or  nearly  so,  unless  when 
mentioned  otherwise. 


220  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

20.     R.  ALPI^NA  Lin.     The  Alpine  Rose. 

Identification.     Lin.  Sp.,  703  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  567. 

Synonymes.  R.  rupe"stns  Crantz.  Austr.,  85;  R.  monspeliaca  Gouan  Monsi).,  255: 
JR.  inermis  Mill.  Diet.,  No.  6 ;  R.  hy'brida  Vill  Dauph.,  3,  p.  554;  R.  lagenaria  Vill.. 
1.  c.  p.  563;  R.  biflora  Krok.  PL  Sil,  2,  p.  157. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Unarmed.  Fruit  elongated,  pendulous.  Peduncles  hispid. 
Flowers  erect,  blush-colored,  solitary.  Fruit  orange  red,  oblong  or  obovate,  with  long 
sepals,  generally  pendulous.  Native  of  the  Alps  of  Austria,  hills  in  the  south  of  France, 
Silesia,  Bohemia,  Dauphine,  Switzerland,  &c.,  growing  to  the  height  of  from  5  ft.  to  8 
ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

22.  R.  ACICULA^RIS  Lindl.     The  needle-prickled  Rose. 

Identification.    Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  44 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  567. 

Synonyme.     R.  alpina  £  aculeata  Scr.  in  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  611. 

Spec.  Char.,  tyc.  Tall.  Prickles  acicular,  unequal.  Learbts  glaucous,  wrinkled, 
rather  convex.  Fruit  rather  flask-shaped,  drooping.  Flowers  solitary,  pale  blush, 
fragrant.  Fruit  obovate,  naked,  of  a  yellowish  orange  color.  Native  of  Siberia;  grow- 
ing to  the  height  of  from  6  ft.  to  8  ft.,  and  flowering  in  May  and  June. 

23.  R.  LUTE'SCENS  Pursh.     The  yellow  American  Rose. 

Identification.  Pursh.  Fl.  Amer.  Sept.,  vol.  2,  p.  735;  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  47;  Don's 
Mill.,  2,  p.  568. 

Synonyme.     R.  hispida  Curt.  Dot.  Mag.,  t.  1570. 

Spec.  Char.,  <$*c.  Prickles  of  branches  crowded,  unequal,  slender,  reflexed ;  of  the 
branchlets,  small  and  nearly  equal.  Leaflets  flat,  glabrous,  simply  serrated.  Flowers 
pale  yellow.  Fruit  large,  ovate,  black.  Native  of  North  America  and  Siberia ;  grow- 
ing to  the  height  of  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  May  and  June.  It  forms  a  very 
distinct  variety,  or  probable  species,  and  on  that  account,  is  well  deserving  a  place  in 
botanical  collections. 

24.  R.  SULPHU^REA  Ait.    The  sulphar-colored-flowered  Rose. 

Identification.    Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  2,  p.  201 ;  Lindl.  Ros.,  t.  77;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  568. 

Synonymes.  R.  hemispherica  Herm.  Diss.,  18 ;  R.  glaucophy'lla  Ehrh.  Beitr.,  2,  p. 
69  ;  /?osa  liitea  flore  pleno  Rai.  Hist.,  1475.  No.  31 ;  R.  lutea  Brat.  Fl.  Lus.,  1,  p.  337  ; 
the  double  yellow  Rose. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Stipules  linear,  divaricate,  dilated  at  the  apex.  Leaflets 
glaucous,  flattish.  Tube  hemispherical.  Stem  prickles  unequal,  scattered.  Flow- 
ers large,  of  a  fine  transparent  yellow,  always  double.  Native  of  the  Levant ; 
growing  to  the  height  of  from  4  ft.  to  10  ft.,  and  flowering  in  July.  This  sort 
does  not  flower  freely,  except  in  open  airy  situations ;  and.  if  trained  against  a  wall, 
exposed  to  the  north  or  east  rather  than  to  the  south.  Its  flower  buds  are  apt  to 
burst  on  one  side  before  they  expand,  and  consequently  to  become  deformed  ;  to 
prevent  this,  the  blossom  buds  should  be  thinned,  and  care  taken  that  they  have 
abundance  of  light  and  air.  Watering  it  freely  in  the  flowering1  season  is  also 
found  advantageous,  and  the  shoots  in  general  ought  not  to  be  shortened.  This 
beautiful  species  is  said  to  flower  freely,  if  grafted  on  the  rnusk  cluster  at  8  ft.  or 
10  ft.  from  the  ground;  or  it  will  do  well  on  the  China  rose.  It  is  grown  in  great 
abundance  in  Italy,  where  its  flowers  produce  a  magnificent  effect,  from  their  large 
size,  doubleness,  and  brilliant  yellow  color.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  of 
our  gardens,  though  the  exact  year  of  its  introduction  is  unknown.  "  Ludovico 
Berthema  tells  us,  in  1503,  that  he  saw  great  quantities  of  yellow  roses  at  Calicut, 
whence  it  appears  probable,  that  both  the  single  and  double-flowered  varieties 
were  brought  into  Europe  by  the  Turks;  as  Parkinson  tells  us,  in  a  work  which 
he  dedicated  to  Henrietta,  the  queen  of  our  unfortunate  Charles  1.,  that  the  double 
yellow  rose  'was  first  procured  to  be  brought  to  England,  by  Master  Nicholas 
Lete,  a  worthy  merchant  of  London,  and  a  great  lover  of  flowers,  from  Constan- 
tinople, which  (as  we  hear)  was  first  brought  thither  from  Syria,  but  perished 
quickly  both  with  him,  and  with  all  other  to  whom  he  imparted  it;  yet  afterward 
it  was  sent  to  Master  John  de  Frangueville,  a  merchant  of  London,  and  a  great 
lover  of  all  rose  plants,  as  well  as  flowers,  from  which  is  sprung  the  greatest  store 
that  is  now  flourishing  in  this  kingdom.' " 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  221 

25.  R.  SPINOSI'SSIMA  L.     The  most  spiny,  or  Scotch,  Rose. 

Identification.    Lin.  Fl.  Suec.,  442 ;  Sp.,  491 ;  Don's  Mill.,  .2,  p.  568. 

Spec.  Char.,  <$*c.  Prickles  unequal.  Leaflets  flat,  glabrous,  simply  serrated. 
A  dwarf  compact  bush,  with  creeping  suckers.  Flowers  small,  solitary,  white  or 
blush-colored.  Fruit  ovate,  or  nearly  round,  black  or  dark  purple.  Native  of 
Europe ;  plentiful  in  Britain.  Shrub,  1  ft.  to  2  ft.  high ;  flowering  in  May  and 
June. 

Varieties.  A  great  many  varieties  have  been  raised  of  this  rose,  with  flowers 
double,  semi-double,  white,  purple,  red,  and  even  yellow.  The  first  double  varie- 
ty was  found  in  a  wild  state,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Perth. 

26.  R.  HIBE'RNICA  Smith.     The  Irish  Rose. 

Identification.     Smith  in  Engl.  Bot.,  2196  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  569. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  unequal,  slightly  hooked,  smaller  ones  bristle-formed. 
Leaflets  ovate,  acute,  simply  serrated,  with  the  ribs  hairy  beneath.  Sepals  pinnate. 
Fruit  nearly  globular,  smooth,  as  well  as  the  peduncles.  Flowers  small,  light  blush- 
colored.  Fruit  orange-colored.  Native  of  Ireland,  in  the  counties  of  Derry  and  Down, 
in  thickets.  A  shrub,  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.  in  height,  and  flowering  from  June  to  Novem- 
ber. 

27.  R.  OXYACA'NTHA  Bicb.     The  sharp-prickled  Rose. 

Identification.    Bieb.  Fl.  Taur.,  3,  p.  338;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  569. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Stems  very  prickly.  Prickles  setaceous,  reversed.  Petioles  prick- 
ly and  glandular.  Leaflets  sharply  and  simply  serrated,  glabrous.  Sepals  undivided. 
Peduncles  clothed  with  glandular  bristles;  when  in  fruit,  reflexed.  Fruit  nearly  glo- 
bose, glabrous.  Flowers  red.  A  native  of  Siberia.  A  shrub,  from  3  ft.  to  5  ft.  high, 
and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

28.  R.  SANGUISORBIFONLIA  Donn.    The  Burnet-leaved  Rose. 

Identification.     Donn  Hort.  Cant.,  ed.  8,  p.  169;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  569. 

Synonymes.  R.  spinosissima  var.  t  sanguisorbifolia  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  51 ;  R.  spinos. 
var.  macrophy'lla  Scr.  in  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  609. 

Spec.  Char.,  <$-c.  Tall.  Prickles  nearly  equal.  Leaflets  9—11,  oblong,  glabrous, 
simply  serrated.  Fruit  globose,  depressed,  dark.  Flowers  white.  This  plant  is  easily 
distinguished  from  the  last,  by  the  greater  number  of  its  leaflets,  the  shortness  of  its 
peduncles,  and  by  its  globose  depressed  fruit.  It  is  a  shrub,  from  3  ft.  to  5  ft.  high,  and 
flowering  in  May  and  June. 

29.  R.  GRANDIFLOXRA  Lindl.     The  large-flowered  Rose. 

Identification.     Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  53  ;  Bot.  Reg.,  t.  888 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  569. 

Synonyme.     R.  pimpinellifolia  Bid).  Fl.  Taur.,  2,  p.  394. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Branches  without  bristles.  Prickles  nearly  equal,  distant.  Leaf- 
lets flat,  glabrous,  simply  serrated.  Flowers  white.  Fruit  dark.  Native  of  Siberia; 
growing  to  the  height  of  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.  and  flowering  in  May  and  June.  Of  this 
rose  Dr.  Lindley  remarks,  that  it  differs  from  R.  spinosissima,  though  scarcely  so  much 
as  to  render  it  a  distinct  species.  "  However,"  he  says,  "  it  is  too  remarkable  a  plant 
to  escape  notice ;  and,  if  it  should  hereafter  be  reduced  to  R.  spinosissima,  it  must 
stand  as  a  distinct  variety." 

30.  R.  MYRIACA'NTHA  Dec.     The  myriad-prickled  Rose. 

Identification.     Dec.  Fl.  Fr.,  4,  p.  439 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  569. 

Synonymes.  R.  parvifolia  Pall.  Ross.,  627;  R.  provincialis  Bieb.  Fl.  Taur.,  1,  p. 
396? ;  R.  spinosissima  var.  n  myriacantha  Ser.  in  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  608. 

Spec.  Char.,  (f~c.  Prickles  unequal,  larger  ones  dagger-formed.  Leaflets  glandular, 
glabrous,  orbicular.  Flowers  white.  Native  of  Dauphine,  and  near  Montpelier ;  grow- 
ing from  1  ft.  to  2  ft.  high,  and  flowering  in  May  and  June.  According  to  Dr.  Lindley, 
this  rose  forms  a  diminutive  shrub,  with  almost  simple  and  erect  shoots,  resembling,  in 
many  respects,  R.  spinosissima  in  a  stunted  state;  though  the  glands  on  its  leaves  ap- 
pear sufficient  to  prevent  the  two  sorts  from  being  mistaken  for  each  other. 

19* 


222  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 


31.  R.  INVOLUVTA  Smith.     The  involute-petaled  Rose. 

Identification.     Smith  in  Eng.  Bot.,  2058 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  569. 

Synonyme.     R.  nivalis  Donn.  Hort  Cant.,  ed.  8,  p.  170. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  very  unequal,  and  very  much  crowded.  Leaflets  doubly 
serrated,  pubescent.  Petals  convolute.  Fruit  prickly.  Petals  pale  red,  concave.  Na- 
tive of  the  Hebrides,  in  tiie  Isle  of  Arran  and  in  Glen  Lyon.  Shrub,  2  ft.  to  3  ft.  high, 
and  flowering  in  June. 

32.  R.  REVE'RSA   Waldst.  et  Kit.     The  reversed-prickled  Rose. 
Identification.     Waldst.  et  Kit.  Hung.,  3,  p.  293;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  569. 
Spec.  Char.,  (^c.    Prickles  setaceous,  nearly  equal,  reflexed.     Leaves  doubly  serrated, 

Subescent.    Fruit  hispid.    Flowers  solitary,  white,  tinged  with  pink.     Fruit  ovate, 
ark  purple.     Native  of  Hungary,  on  the  mountains  of  Matra,  in  stony  places ;  growing 
to  the  height  of  from  2  ft.  to  5  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

33.  R.  SABI'NI  Woods.     Sabine's  Rose. 
Identification.     Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  188;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  569. 

•Spec.  Char.,  tf-e.  Peduncles,  calyx,  fruit,  and  branches  bristly.  Prickles  scattered, 
straightish.  Leaflets  doubly  serrated,  nearly  smooth,  with  hairy  ribs.  Sepals  pinnate. 
Flower  stalks  rather  aggregate.  Petals  fine  red.  Fruit  ovate,  bright  scarlet.  Native 
of  Scotland,  near  Dunkeld;  in  England,  in  Cumberland,  Northumberland,  and  York- 
shire. 5  ft.  to  8  ft.  high,  and  flowering  in  July. 

34.  R.  DONIAVNA  Woods.     Don's  Rose. 

Identification.    Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  183  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  570. 
Synonyme.     R.  Sabinz  8  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  59. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Peduncles  bractless,  bristly,  as  well  as  the  globular  fruit  and  calyx. 
Stem  bristly  and  prickly  like  the  downy  petioles.  Leaflets  elliptical,  doubly  and  sharp- 
ly serrated,  hairy  on  both  sides.  Petals  spreading.  Flowers  pink,  expanded.  Seg- 
ments of  the  calyx  simple.  Native  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  particularly  on  the 
mountains  of  Clova,  Angusshire.  Shrub,  4  ft.  to  5  ft.  high  and  flowering  in  June  and 
July.  This  rose  was  named  in  honor  of  Don  of  Forfar;  and  Sir  Edward  Smith  ob- 
serves of  it:  "It  is  much  to  be  wished,  that  this  rose  should  afford  a  permanent 
wreath  in  honor  of  its  discoverer,  one  of  the  most  indefatigable  as  well  as  accurate  of 
botanists,  who  loved  the  science  for  its  own  sake,  and  braved  every  difficulty  in  its  ser- 
vice. He  infused  the  same  spirit  into  his  sons  [two  of  whom,  Prof.  Don,  and  G.  Don, 
author  of  Don's  Miller,  are  well  known  in  the  botanical  world],  who  are  now  living  evi- 
dences of  his  knowledge,  and  of  his  powers  of  instruction." 

V.  CENTIFO^IjE  Lindl. 

Derivation.  From  centum,  a  hundred,  and  folium,  a  leaf;  because  the  species  con- 
tained in  this  section  agree  in  character  with  the  hundred-leaved  rose,  which  is  so  ex- 
tensively double  as  to  seem  to  have  a  hundred  petals. 

Sect.  Char.,  <fyc.  Shrubs,  all  bearing  bristles  and  prickles.  Pe- 
duncles bracteate.  Leaflets  oblong  or  ovate,  wrinkled.  Disk  thicken- 
ed, closing  the  throat.  Sepals  compound.  This  division  comprises 
the  portion  of  the  genus  .Rosa  which  has  most  particularly  interested 
the  lover  of  flowers.  It  is  probable  that  the  earliest  roses  of  which 
there  are  any  records  of  being  cultivated  belonged  to  this  section  ;  but, 
to  which  particular  species  those  of  Cyrene  or  Mount  Pangaeus  are  to 
be  referred,  it  is  now  too  late  to  inquire.  The  attar  of  roses,  which  is 
an  important  article  of  commerce,  is  either  obtained  from  roses  belong- 
ing to  this  division  indiscriminately,  as  in  the  manufactory  at  Florence, 
conducted  by  a  convent  of  friars  ;  or  from  some  particular  kind,  as  in 
India.  It  appears,  from  specimens  brought  from  Chizapore  by  Colonel 
Hardwicke,  that  R.  damascena  is  there  exclusively  used  for  obtaining 
the  essential  oil.  The  Persians  also  make  use  of  a  sort  which  Kaemp- 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  223 


fer  calls  R.  shirazensis  (from  its  growing  about  Shiraz),  in  preference  to 
others  :  this  may  be  either  R.  damascena,  or  R.  gallica,  or  R.  centifolia, 
or  perhaps  R.  inoschata.  The  species  contained  in  the  present  section 
are  all  setigerous,  by  which  they  are  distinguished  from  the  following 
divisions :  their  thickened  disk  and  divided  sepals  separate  them  from 
the  preceding.  To  the  section  of  Rubiginosae  the  glanduliferous  sorts 
approach  :  but  the  difference  of  their  glands,  the  size  of  their  flowers, 
and  their  dissimilar  habit,  prevent  their  being  confounded. 

35.  R.  DAMASCENNA  MM.     The  Damascus,  or  Damask  Rose. 

Identification.     Mill.  Diet.,  No.  15;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  571. 

Synonymes.  R.  belgica  Mill.  Diet.,  No.  17 ;  R.  calendarum  Munch.  Hausv.  ex  Bork. 
Holz.  330,  Rossig.  Ros.,  t.  8,  and  t.  33 ;  R.  bifera  Poir.  Suppl.  6,  p.  276,  Red-  Ros.  1,  p. 
107  and  p.  121 ;  Rose  a  quatre  Saisons. 

Spec.  Char.,  tf-c.  Prickles  unequal,  large  ones  falcate.  Sepals  reflexed.  Fruit 
elongated.  Native  of  Syria.  Flowers  large,  white  or  red,  single  or  doable.  The  ' 
present  species  may  be  distinguished  from  R.  centifolia  by  the  greater  size  of  the 
prickles,  the  greenness  of  the  bark,  the  elortgated  fruit,  and  the  long  reflexed  se- 
pals. The  petals  of  this  species,  and  all  the  varieties  of  R.  centifolia,  as  well  as 
those  of  other  species,  are  employed  indiscriminately  for  the  purpose  of  making 
rose-water.  A  shrub  growing  from  2  ft.  to  8  ft.  high,  and  flowering  in  June  and 
July.  This  species  is  extremely  beautiful,  from  the  size  and  brilliant  color  of  its 
flowers.  It  is  asserted  by  some' writers  to  have  been  brought  from  Damascus  in 
Syria  at  the  time  of  the  crusades,  but  there  is  every  probability  that  it  came  from 
Italy,  since  it  is  the  same  as  the  bifera  or  the  twice-bearing  rose  of  the  ancient 
Roman  gardeners,  and  is  the  original  type  of  our  Remontant  Roses.  The  Roman 
gardeners  could  have  produced  a  certain  autumnal  bloom  only  by  a  sort  of  re- 
tarding process  similar  to  that  mentioned  in  our  chapter  on  culture,  for  although 
the  Damask  Rose  will,  under  peculiar  circumstances,  bloom  in  autumn  of  its 
own  accord,  yet  it  cannot  always  be  relied  upon  to  do  so.  During  the  early 
period  of  the  French  monarchy,  when  none  of  the  Remontant  Roses  were  known 
and  this  species  was  common,  it  was  considered  quite  a  phenomenon  to  see  them 
appear  naturally  in  winter.  Gregory  of  Tours,  speaking  of  the  year  584,  says, 
"  This  year  many  prodigies  appeared  and  many  calami  ties  afflicted  the  people,  for 
roses  were  seen  blooming  in  January,  and  a  circle  was  formed  around  the  sun." 
And  of  the  year  589  he  says,  "  This  year  trees  blossomed  in  autumn  and  bore  fruit 
the  second  time,  and  roses  appeared  in  the  ninth  month." 

R.  CENTIFO'LIA  Lin.     The  hundred-petaled,  Provence,  or  Cabbage  Rose. 

Identification.     Lin.  Sp.,  704;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  571. 

Synonymes.  R.  provincialis  Mill.  Diet.,  No.  18;  R.  polyanthos  Rossig.  Ros.,  t.  35; 
R.  caryophy'llea  Poir.  Suppl.,  6,  p.  276;  R.  unguiculata  Desf.  Cat.,  175;  R.  varians 
Pohl  Bohem.,  2,  p.  171. 

Spec.  C/tar.,  fyc.  Prickles  unequal,  larger  ones  falcate.  Leaflets  ciliated  with 
glands.  Flowers  drooping.  Calyxes  clammy.  Fruit  oblong.  Native  of  Eastern 
Caucasus,  in  groves.  Flowers  white  or  red;  single,  but  most  commonly  double. 
This  species  is  distinguished  from  R.  damascena  by  the  sepals  not  being  reflexed, 
and  the  flowers  having  their  petals  curved  inwards,  so  as,  in  the  double  state,  to 
give  the  flower  the  appearance  of  the  heart  of  a  cabbage ;  whence  the  name  of  the 
cabbage  rose.  Its  fruit  is  either  oblong  or  roundish,  but  never  elongated.  From 
R.  gallica  it  is  distinguished  by  the  flowers  being  drooping,  and  by  the  larger  size 
of  the  prickles,  with  a  more  robust  habit.  A  shrub,  growing  from  3  ft.  to  6 
ft.  high,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July.  When  this  rose  becomes  unthrifty  from 
age,  it  is  renewed  by  cutting  off  the  stems  close  to  the  ground  as  soon  as  the  flow- 
ers have  fallen ;  shoots  will  then  be  produced  sufficiently  vigorous  to  furnuh  a 
beautiful  and  abundant  bloom  the  following  spring. 

Varieties.  Above  100  varieties  have  been  assigned  to  this  species,  and  classed 
in  three  divisions : 

R.  c. .  1  provincialis  Mill. ;  the  Provence,  or  Cabbage  Rose. 


224  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

R.  c.  2  muscosa  Mill.,  the  Moss  Rose. 

R.  c.  3  pomponia  Dec.,  the  Pompune  Rose. 

According  to  Loud  on  we  have  made  this  a  variety  of  the  centifolia,  although 
some  authors  assert  it  to  have  been  found  growing  wild  in  1735,  by  a  gardener 
of  Dijon,  in  France,  who  discovered  it  while  cutting  wood  on  a  mountain  near 
that  city.  Many  varieties  of  it  have  been  obtained,  among  which  the  most  singu- 
lar is  the  little  dwarf  given  in  the  New  Du  Hamel  as  a  distinct  species.  It  does  not 
grow  more  than  12  or  15  inches  high  and  frequently  perishes  before  blossoming. 

R.  c.  4  bipintidta  Red.  Ros.,  ii.,  p.  4,  which  has  bipinnate  leaves. 

37.  JR.  GA'LLICA  L.     The  French  Rose. 

Identification.     Lin  Sp.,  704 ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  603. 

Synonymes.  R.  centifolia  Mill.  Diet.,  No.  41  ;  R.  sylvatica  Gater.  Mont.,  p.  94; 
R.  riibra  Lam.  PL  Fr.  3,  p.  130;  R.  holosericea  Rossig.  Ros.,  t.  18 ;  R  belgica  lirot. 
Fl.  Lus.,  1,  p.  338 ;  R.  blanda  Brot.,  1,  c;  Rose  de  Provins,  Fr. ;  Essig  Rose,  Ger. 

Spec.  Char.,  &c.  Prickles  unequal.  Stipules  narrow,  divaricate  at  the  tip. 
Leaflets  5 — 7,  coriaceous,  rigid,  ovate  or  lanceolate,  deflexed.  Flower  bud  ovate- 
globose.  Sepals  spreading  during  the  time  of  the  flowering.  Fruit  subglobose, 
very  coriaceous.  Calyx  and  peduncle  more  or  less  hispid  with  glanded  hairs, 
somewhat  viscose.  A  species  allied  to  R.  centifolia  L.,  but  with  round  fruit,  and 
very  coriaceous  leaflets,  with  more  numerous  nerves,  that  are  a  little  prominent, 
and  are  anastomosing.  Native  of  middle  Europe  and  Caucasus,  in  hedges.  The 
flowers  vary  from  red  to  crimson,  and  from  single  to  double  ;  and  there  is  one  va- 
riety with  the  flowers  double  white.  The  petals  of  some  of  the  varieties  of  this 
rose  are  used  in  medicine,  particularly  that  called  officinal ;  which,  though  not  so 
fragrant  as  those  of  the  Dutch  hundred-leaved  rose,  also  one  of  the  varieties  of  this 
species,  are  preferred  ibr  their  beautiful  color  and  their  pleasant  astringency. 
The  petals  of/?,  gallica  are  those  which  are  principally  used  for  making  conserve 
of  roses,  and,  when  dried,  for  gargles:  their  odor  is  increased  by  drying.  They 
are  also  used  in  common  with  those  of  R.  centifolia,  ibr  making  rose-water  and 
attar  of  roses.  This  rose  was  called  by  old  writers  the  red  rose,  and  is  supposed 
to  have  been  the  one  assumed  as  the  badge  of  the  House  of  Lancaster.  This,  al- 
so, is  one  of  the  roses  mentioned  by  Pliny  ;  from  which,  he  says,  all  the  others 
have  been  derived.  It  is  often  confounded  with  the  Damask  rose  ;  and  is  the  /?6sa 
damascena  of  the  druggists'  shops.  ' 

Variety.  The  varieties  of  this  species  are  very  numerous.  One  of  the  most 
distinct  is — 

R.  g.  7  parvifolia  Ser.  in  Dec.  Prod.,  ii.,  p.  664;  R.  parvifolia  Ehr.  Bcitr.,  vi.,  p. 
97,  Ker  in  Dot.  Reg.,  t.  452,  Don's  MM.,  ii.,  p.  573;  R.  burgundiaca  Rossig.  Ros., 
t.  4;  /?.  remensis  Dcsf.  Cat.,  t.  175,  and  our  Jig.  494.  The  Burgundy  Rose. — A 
dwarf  compact  shrub,  with  stiff,  ovate  acute,  and  sharply  serrated  small  leaflets, 
and  very  double  purple  flowers,  which  are  solitary,  and  have  some  resemblance, 
in  form  and  general  appearance,  to  the  flower  of  a  double-flowered  Asiatic  ra- 
nunculus. Besides  the  botanical  varieties,  given  in  Don's  Miller,  there  are  19  in 
the  Nouveau  Du  Hamel. 

38.  /?.  PULCHE'LLA   Willd.    The  neat  Rose. 

Identification.     Willd.  Enum.,  p.  545  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  573. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Ovaries  roundish-obovate.  Peduncles  and  calyxes  beset  with 
glandular  bristles.  Petioles  clothed  with  glandular  pubescence,  unarmed.  Cauline 
prickles  scattered.  Native  country  unknown.  Allied  to  R.  turbinata ;  but  the  sterns 
are  much  smaller;  the  flowers  also  smaller;  and  the  form  of  the  ovaries  is  different 
Perhaps  this  is  the  rose  de  Meaux  of  the  gardens,  or  some  variety  of  R.  gallica.  It  is 
a  shrub,  2  ft.  high,  and  produces  its  flowers  in  June  and  July. 

VI.  VILL.CTSJE. 

Derivation.    From  viUozus,  villous ;  in  allusion  to  the  hairiness  of  the  species. 
Sect.    Char.     Surculi   erect.     Prickles  straightish.     Leaflets  ovate 
or  oblong,  with  diverging  serratures.     Sepals  connivent,   permanent. 
"Disk  thickened,  closing  the  throat.     This  division  borders  equally  close 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  225 

upon  those  of  Caninse  and  Rubigiriosae.  From  both  it  is  distinguished 
by  its  root-suckers  being  erect  and  stout.  The  most  absolute  marks 
of  difference,  however,  between  this  and  Camnse,  exists  in  the  prickles 
of  the  present  section  being  straight,  and  the  serratures  of  the  leaves 
diverging.  If,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  the  prickles  of  this  tribe  are 
falcate,  the  serratures  become  more  diverging.  The  permanent  sepals 
are  another  character  by  which  this  tribe  may  be  known  from  Caninae. 
llubiginosse  cannot  be  confounded  with  the  present  section,  on  account 
of  the  unequal  hooked  prickles  and  glandular  leaves  of  the  species. 
Roughness  of  fruit,  and  permanence  of  sepals,  are  common  to  both. 

39.  R.  TCJRBINAXTA  Ait.    The  turbmsLte-calyxed,  or  Frankfort  Rose. 

Identification.  Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  ed  1,  v.  2,  p.  206 ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  603 ;  Don's  Mill., 
2,  p.  576. 

Synonymes.  R.  campanulata  Ehrh.  Deitr.,  6,  p.  97 ;  7?.  francofortiana  Munch. 
Hausv.,  5,  p.  24;  R.  francfurtensis  Rossig.  Ros.,  t.  11. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Stem  nearly  without  prickles.  Branches  smooth.  Leaflets  5 — 7, 
ovate-cordate,  large,  wrinkled  in  a  bullate  manner,  serrate,  approximate,  a  little  villous 
beneath.  Stipules  large,  clasping  the  stem  or  branch.  Flowers  disposed  subcorym- 
bosely,  large,  violaceous  red.  Peduncles  wrinkled  and  hispid.  Calyx  turbinate, 
smoothish.  Sepals  undivided,  subspathulate.  Flowers  large,  red,  and  loose ;  probably 
a  native  of  Germany ;  growing  to  'the  height  of  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June 
and  July. 

40.  R.  VILLO\SA  Lin.    The  villoMS-leaved  Rose. 

Identification.     Lin..Sp.,  704 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  576. 

Synonymes.  R.  mullis  Smith  in  Eng.  Dot.,  t.  2459;  R.  tomentosa  /?  Lindl.  Ros.,  p. 
77;  R.  heterophy'lla  Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  195;  R.  pulchella  Woods  1,  c.,  p. 
196 ;  R.  pomifera  Herm.  Diss.,  16. 

Spec.  Char.,  <§*c.  Leaflets  rounded,  bluntish,  downy  all  over.  Fruit  globose,  rather 
depressed,  partly  bristly.  Sepals  slightly  compound.  Flowers  red  or  pink.  This  is  a 
very  variable  plant.  Branches  without  bristles.  It  is  a  native  of  Europe,  in  hedges ;  in 
Britain,  in  bushy  rather  mountainous  situations,  in  Wales,  Scotland,  and  the  north  of 
England,  growing  to  the  height  of  5  ft.  or  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  July. 

41.  R.  GRA'CILIS   Woods.    The  slender  Rose. 

Identification.     Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  186 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  570. 

Synonyme.  R.  villosa  Smith,  in  Eng.  Hot.,  t.  583,  excluding  the  synonyme  and  the 
fruit. 

Spec.  Char.,  <$-c.  Peduncles  usually  in  pairs,  bristly,  often  bracteate.  Branches, 
fruit,  and  calyx  bristly.  Larger  prickles  curved,  usually  twin.  Leaflets  doubly  serrated, 
hairy  on  both  sides.  Petals  slightly  concave,  of  a  pale  pink.  Fruit  globular.  Seg- 
ments of  the  calyx  simple.  Growing  to  the  height  of  8  ft.  or  10  ft.,  and  flowering  in 
July. 

42.  R.  TOMENTOXSA  Smith.    The  tomentose,  or  woolly-leaved  Rose. 

Identification.    Smith  Fl.  Brit.,  539;  Eng.  Bot.,  990 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  576. 

Synonymes.  R.  villosa  Ehrh.  Arb.,  p.  45,  Du  Roi  Harbk.,  2,  p.  341,  Fl.  Dan.,  t. 
1458 ;  R.  mollissima  Bdrk.  Holz.,  p.  307 ;  R.  dubia  Wibel,  Wirth.,  p.  263 ;  R.  villosa 
.3  Huds.,  219. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Leaflets  ovate,  acute,  more  or  less  downy.  Fruit  elliptical,  hispid. 
Sepals  pinnate.  Prickles  slightly  curved.  Petals  white  at  the  base.  Native  of  Eu- 
rope, in  hedges  and  thickets ;  plentiful  in  Britain  ;  growing  to  the  height  of  6  ft.,  and 
flowering  in  June  and  July. 

43.  R.  SHERA'RDI  Davies.     Sherard's  Rose. 
Identification.     Davies'  Welsh  Bot.,  49;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  576. 
Synonymes.    R.  subglobosa  Smith  Eng.  FL.  2,  p.  384  ;  R.  tomentosa  var.  e  arid  it 
Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  201. 


226  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  conical,  hooked,  compressed.  Leaflets  elliptical,  acute, 
downy  on  both  surfaces.  Sepals  pinnate.  Fruit  globular,  abrupt,  rather  bristly. 
Found  near  Kingston  upon  Thames,  near  Tunbridge  Wells,  and  on  the  Downs  in  Kent, 
in  Cambridgeshire,  and  in  the  Isle  of  Anglesea.  Peduncles  from  1 — 8,  the  more  nu- 
merous the  shorter,  beset  with  glandular  bristles.  Fruit  large,  and  globular.  A  shrub, 
growing  to  the  height  of  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

44.  R.  SYLVE'STRIS  Lindl.     The  Wood  Rose. 

Identification.     Lindl.  Syn.  Brit.  Fl.,  p.  101 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  576. 

Synonyme.     R.  tomentosa  sylvestris  Woods. 

Spec.  Char.,  tf-c.  Stem  erect,  colored,  flexuous.  Prickles  hooked.  Leaflets  oblong, 
acute,  hoary  on  both  sides.  Sepals  diverging,  deciduous  before  the  fruit  is  ripe.  Fruit 
elliptic,  bristly.  Native  of  Oxfordshire,  in  hedges.  Growing  to  the  height  of  6  ft.  or  8 
ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

45.  R.  MO'LLIS  Led.     The  soft-leaved  Rose. 

Identification.     Led.  ex  Spreng.  Syst.,  2,  p.  551 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  577. 

Synonyme.     R.  Ledebourii  Spreng.  Syst.,  2,  p.  551. 

Spec.  Char.,  tf*c.  Ovaries  ovate,  glaucous,  and  prickly,  as  well  as  the  peduncles. 
Branches  unarmed  and  pubescent,  as  well  as  the  petioles.  Leaflets  obtuse,  doubly  ser- 
rated, villous  on  both  surfaces.  Native  of  Caucasus  ;  growing  to  the  height  of  from  4 
ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

46.  R.  A'LBA  Lin.     The  common  white  Rose. 

Identification.  Lin.  Sp.,  805  ;  Lawr.  Ros.,  t.  23,  25,  32,  37 ;  (Ed.  Fl.  Dan.,  t.  1215 ; 
Red.  Ros.  1,  p.  97,  and  p.  17 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  577. 

Synonyme.     R.  usitatissima  Gat.  Montaub.,  t.  94. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Leaflets  oblong,  glaucous,  rather  naked  above,  simply  serrat- 
ed. Prickles  straightish  or  falcate,  slender  or  strong,  without  bristles.  Sepals  pin- 
nate, reflexed.  Fruit  unarmed.  Native  of  Piedmont,  Cochin-China,  Denmark, 
France,  and  Saxony.  Flowers  large,  either  white,  or  of  the  most  delicate  blush 
color,  with  a  grateful  fragrance.  Fruit  oblong,  scarlet,  or  blood-colored.  A  shrub, 
growing  from  4  ft.  to  10  ft.  in  height,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

VII.  RUBIGINONS^J  Lindl. 

Derivation.  From  rubiginosus,  rusty ;  the  leaves  of  the  species  being  usually  fur- 
nished with  rust-colored  glands  beneath. 

Sect.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  unequal,  sometimes  bristle-formed,  rarely 
wanting.  Leaflets  ovate  or  oblong,  glandular,  with  diverging  serra- 
tures.  Sepals  permanent.  Disk  thickened.  Root-shoots  arched. 
The  numerous  glands  on  the  lower  surface  of  the  leaves  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  prevent  anything  else  being  referred  to  this  section  •  and 
although  R.  tomentosa  has  sometimes  glandular  leaves,  the  inequality 
of  the  prickles  of  the  species  of  Rubiginosae,  and  their  red  fruit,  will 
clearly  distinguish  them.  This  division  includes  all  the  eglantine,  or 
sweet-briar  roses. 

47.  R.  LUXTEA  Dodon.     The  yellow  Eglantine  Rose. 

Identification.  Dodon.  Pempt.,  187;  Mill.  Diet.,  No.  It;  Lawr.  Ros.,  t.  12;  Curt. 
Bot.  Mag.,  t.  363;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  577. 

Synonymes.  R.  Eglantlria  Lin.  Sp.  703,  Red.  Ros.,  1,  p.  69 ;  R.  fce'tida  Herm. 
Diss.,  18 ;  R.  chlorophy'lla  Ehrh.  Deitr.,  2,  p.  69 ;  R.  cerea  Rossig.  Ros.  t.  2. 

Spec.  Char.,  <f*c.  Prickles  straight.  Leaflets  deep  green.  Sepals  nearly  entire, 
setigerous.  Petals  flat,  concave.  Flowers  deep  yellow,  large,  cupshaped,  solitary. 
Fruit  unknown.  A  shrub,  a  native  of  Germany  and  the  south  of  France ;  growing 
from  3  ft.  to  4  ft.  high,  and  flowering  in  June. 

48.  R.  RUBIGINOVSA  Lin.     The  rusty-leaved  Rose,  Sweet-Briar,  or  Eglantine. 
Identification.     Lin.  Mant.,  2,  p.  594;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  604;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  577. 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  227 


Synonymes.  R.  suavifolia  Lighlf.  Scot.,  1,  p.  261,  Fl.  Dan.,  t.  870;  R.  Eglantbria 
Mill.  Diet,  No.  4,  Lin.  Sp.,  edit.  1,  p.  491 ;  R.  agre"stis  Savi  Fl.  Pis.,  p.  475;  R.  ru- 
biginosa  parviflora  Rau,  Enum.,  135. 

Spec.  Char.,  <f*c.  Prickles  hooked,  compressed,  with  smaller  straighter  ones  in- 
terspersed. Leaflets  elliptical,  doubly  serrated,  hairy,  clothed  beneath  with  rust- 
colored  glands.  Sepals  pinnate,  and  bristly,  as  well  as  the  peduncles.  Fruit 
obovate,  bristly  toward  the  base.  Native  throughout  Europe,  and  of  Caucasus. 
In  Britain,  in  bushy  places,  on  a  dry  gravelly  or  chalky  soil.  Leaves  sweet- 
scented  when  bruised,  and  resembling  the  fragrance  of  the  Pippin  Apple.  When 
dried  in  the  shade  and  prepared  as  a  tea,  they  make  a  healthful  and  pleasant  bev- 
erage. This  species  is  extensively  used  in  Europe  for  the  formation  of  Tea  Roses, 
and  it  is  estimated  that  two  hundred  thousand  are  budded  annually  in  the  vicinity 
of  Paris  alone.  The  species  is  very  vigorous,  but  does  not  seem  to  answer  well  in 
our  hot  sun.  The  change  from  its  native  shaded  thickets  and  hedges  is  too  much 
for  its  tall  exposed  stem  and  although  the  stock  may  not  itself  die  yet  the  variety 
budded  upon  it  will  frequently  perish  in  two  or  three  years.  This  is  doubtless 
partly  owing  to  a  want  of  analogy  between  the  stock  and  the  variety  given  it  for 
nourishment,  but  that  the  former  is  the  prominent  evil  is  evident  by  the  fact  that 
dwarfs  of  the  same  stock,  where  the  stem  is  shaded  by  the  foliage,  flourish  much 
better.  The  Eglantine,  in  favored  situations,  is  very  long-lived.  A  French  wri- 
ter speaks  of  one  in  which  he  had  counted  one  hundred  and  twenty  concentric 
layers,  making  thus  its  age  the  same  number  of  years.  Another  writer  speaks  of 
an  Eglantine  in  Lower  Saxony,  whose  trunk  separated  into  two  very  strong 
branches,  twenty-four  feet  high  and  extending  over  a  space  of  twenty  feet.  At  the 
height  of  seven  feet,  one  of  the  branches  is  nearly  six  inches  and  the  other  four 
inches  in  circumference.  There  is  a  tradition  that  it  existed  in  the  time  of  Louis 
the  Pious,  King  of  Germany  in  the  ninth  century.  This  however  must  evidently 
be  received  with  some  allowance.  Flowers  pink.  Fruit  scarlet,  obovate  or  ellip- 
tic. A  shrub,  growing  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.  in  height,  and  flowering  in  June  and 
July. 

49.  R.  SUAVEVOLENS  Pursh.  The  sweet-scented  Rose,  American  Sweet-Briar,  or 

Eglantine. 

Identification.    Pursh  PI.  Amer.  Sept.  vol.  1,  p.  346;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  578. 

Synonymes.  R.  rubiginosa  and  Eglanferia  of  the  Americans.  Rafin.  Ros.  Amer.  in 
Ann.  Phys.,  5,  p.  518. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  scattered,  straight.  Petioles  beset  with  glandular  bristles. 
Leaflets  ovate,  serrated,  sparingly  glandular  beneath.  Flowers  usually  solitary.  Pe- 
duncles bracteate.  Fruit  ovate.  Native  of  North  America.  Leaves  sweet-scented 
when  bruised.  Flowers  pink.  Sepals  entire.  A  shrub,  growing  to  the  height  of  5  ft. 
or  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

50.  R.  MICRA'NTHA  Sm.    The  small-flowered  Rose,  or  Sweet-Briar. 

Identification.    Smith  in  Eng.  Bot.,  t.  2490;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  578. 

Synonyme.  R.  rubiginosa  /?  micra'ntha  Ldndl.  Ros.,  p.  87,  with  erroneous  syno- 
nynies. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  hooked,  scattered,  nearly  uniform.  Leaflets  ovate,  doubly 
serrated,  hairy,  glandular  beneath.  Sepals  pinnate.  Fruit  elliptic,  rather  bristly,  con- 
tracted at  the  summit.  Stems  straggling.  Native  of  Britain,  in  hedges  and  thickets, 
chiefly  in  the  south  of  England.  Leaves  sweet-scented.  Flowers  small,  pale  red.  A 
shrub,  from  4  ft.  to  5  ft.  in  height,  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

51.  R.  SEVPIUM  Thuil.    The  Hedge  Rose,  or  Briar. 

Identification.  Thuil.  Fl.  Per.  252;  Borr.  in  Eng.  Bot.  Suppl.,  t.  2653  ;  Don's  Mill., 
2,  578. 

Synonymes.  R.  helvetica  and  R.  myrtifolia  Hall;  R  canina  /?  Dec.  Fl.  Fr.,  ed.  3, 
No.  3617 ;  R.  agrcstis  Sam  Fl.  Pis.,  1,  p.  474 ;  R.  biserrata,  R.  macrocarpa,  and  R. 
stipularis  Mer.  Fl.  Par.,  190,  ex  Desv.,  f.  75. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  slender.  Branches  flexuous.  Leaflets  shining,  acute  at 
both  ends.  Flowers  usually  solitary.  Fruit  polished.  Sepals  pinnate,  with  very  nar- 
row segments.  Native  of  Europe  in  hedges ;  in  England,  near  Bridport,  Warwick- 


228  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

shire.    Flowers  small,  pink.    A  shrub,  growing  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.  in  height,  and  flow- 
ering in  June  and  July. 

52.  R.  IBE'RICA  Stev.    The  Iberian  Rose. 

Identification.     Stev.  in  Bieb.  Fl.  Taur.  Suppl.,  343;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  578. 

Spec.  Char.,  fa.  Cauline  prickles  scattered,  hooked,  dilated  at  the  base.  Petioles 
glandular  and  prickly.  Leaflets  broad,  ovate,  glandularly  biserrated,  and  beset  with  glands 
on  both  surfaces.  Fruit  ovate,  smooth,  or  with  a  few  bristles,  as  well  as  the  peduncles. 
Native  of  Eastern  Iberia,  about  the  town  of  Kirzchinval.  Very  nearly  allied  to  R.  pul- 
verulenta,  according  to  Bieberstein.  A  shrub,  growing  from  4  ft.  to  6'ft.  in  height,  and 
flowering  in  June  and  July. 

53.  R.  GLUTINO\SA  Smith.     The  clammy  Rose,  or  Briar. 

Identification.  Smith.  Fl.  Grsec.  Prod.,  1,  p.  348 ;  Fl.  Graec.,  t.  482 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2, 
p.  578. 

Synonymes.  R.  rubiginosa  cretica  Red.  Ros.,  1,  p.  93,  and  p.  125,  t.  47;  R.  rubigi- 
nosa sphaerocarpa  Devs.  Journ.  Bot.,  1813,  t.  118,  Cupan.  Pamph.,  ed.  1,  t.  61. 

Spec.  Char.,  fa.  Branches  pilose.  Prickles  numerous,  falcate.  Leaflets  roundish, 
coarsely  serrated,  hoary,  glandular,  and  viscid  on  both  surfaces.  Fruit  and  peduncles 
beset  with  stiff  bristles.  Flowers  pale  blush.  Sepals  subpinnate.  Fruit  scarlet.  Na- 
tive of  Mount  Parnassus,  and  of  Sicily  and  Candia,  on  the  mountains  ;  growing  to  the 
height  of  2  ft.  or  3  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

54.  R.  KLUVKII  Bess.     Kluki's  Rose,  or  Sweet-Briar. 

Identification.  Bess.  Cat.  Hort.  Crem.,  1816,  Suppl.,  4,  p.  19;  Bieb.  Fl.  Taur.  Suppl 
343;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  579. 

Synonymes.  R.  rubiginosa  Bieb.  Fl.  Taur.,  No.  979,  exclusive  of  the  synonymes ; 
R.  floribiinda  Stev.  ;  R.  balsamea  Bess. 

Spec.  Char.,  fa.  Cauline  prickles  strong,  compressed,  dilated  at  the  base,  recurved. 
Petioles  villous  and  prickly.  Leaflets  small,  elliptic,  acute,  sharply  biserrated,  with  the 
serratures  glandular,  villous  above,  but  rusty  and  glandular  beneath.  Peduncles  and 
fruit  beset  with  glandular  bristles.  Flowers  pink.  Allied  to  R.  rubiginosa,  according 
to  Bieberstein ;  but,  according  to  Basser,  to  R.  alba.  Native  of  Tauria;  growing  to 
the  height  of  5  ft.,  or  6  ft.  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

55.  R.  MONTEZI^M-E  Humb.     Montezuma's  Rose,  or  Briar. 

Identification.     Humb.  et  Bonpl.  in  Red.  Ros.,  1,  p.  55 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  579. 

Spec.  Char.,  fa.  Petioles  armed  with  little  hooked  prickles.  Branches  unarmed. 
Leaflets  ovate,  sharply  serrated,  glabrous.  Flowers  solitary,  terminal.  Tube  of  calyx 
elliptic,  and  as  well  as  the  peduncles,  glabrous.  Native  of  Mexico,  on  the  chain  of  por- 
phyry mountains  which  bound  the  valley  of  Mexico  on  the  north,  at  the  elevation  of 
1416  toises,  on  the  top  of  Cerro  Ventosa,  near  the  mine  of  San  Pedro.  Flowers  pale 
red.  Sepals  compound,  dilated  at  the  end.  A  shrub  growing  to  the  height  of  from  4 
ft.  to  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

VIII.  CANrXJE  Lindl. 

Derivation.  From  caninus,  belonging  to  a  dog ;  because  R.  canina  is  commonly 
called  the  dog  rosa.  The  name  is  applied  to  this  section,  because  all  the  species  con- 
tained in  it  agree  in  character  with  R.  canina. 

Sect.  Char.,  <$'C.  Prickles  equal,  hooked.  Leaflets  ovate,  glandlesa 
or  glandular,  with  the  serratures  conniving.  Sepals  deciduous.  Disk 
thickened,  closing  the  throat.  Larger  suckers  arched. 

56.  R.  CAUCA^SEA  Pall.    The  Caucasian  Dog  Rose. 

Identification.     Pall.  Ross.,  t.  11 ;  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  97 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  579. 

Synonyms.     R.  leuclntha  Bieb.  Fl.  Taur.  Suppl.,  351.  ? 

Spec.  Char.  fa.  Prickles  strong,  recurved.  Leaflets  soft,  ovate.  Calyx  and  pedun- 
cles hispid.  Sepals  simple.  -Fruit  smooth.  Flowers  large,  growing  in  bunches,  white 
or  pale  red.  A  shrub,  growing  to  the  height  of  from  10  ft.  to  12  ft.,  and  flowering  in 
June  and  July.  This  species,  as  grown  in  the  collection  of  Loddiges,  at  London,  is  of  a 
robust  habit,  with  glaucous  leaves,  flowering  and  fruiting  freely.  The  plant  is  a  useful 
one  for  the  filling  up  of  large  shrubberies. 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  229 

57.  R.  CANIVNA  Lin.    The  common  Dog  Rose. 

Identification.     Lin.  Sp.,  704;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  579. 

Synonymes.  R.  dumalis  Beclist.  Forstb.,  241,  and  939,  ex  Ran;  R.  andegavensis 
Bat.  Fl.  Main,  et  Loir.,  189,  Red.  Ros.,  2,  p.  9,  t.  3 ;  R.  glaiica  Lois,  in  Desv.  Journ.  ;  R. 
arvensis  Sckrank  Fl.  Mon. ;  R.  glaucescens  Mer.  Par. ;  R.  nitens  Mer.,  1,  c ;  R.  ten- 
eriffensis  Donn  Hort.  Cant.,  ed.  8,  p.  169 ;  R.  senticosa  Achar.  Acad.  HandL,  34  p.  91, 
t.  3. 

Spec.  Char.,  dfaf  Prickles  strong,  hooked.  Leaflets  simply  serrated,  pointed,  quite 
smooth.  Sepals  pinnate.  Fruit  ovate,  smooth,  or  rather  bristly,  like  the  aggregate 
flower  stalks.  Native  throughout  Europe,  and  the  north  of  Africa ;  plentiful  in  Britain, 
in  hedges,  woods,  and  thickets.  Flowers  rather  large,  pale  red,  seldom  white.  Fruit 
ovate,  bright  scarlet,  of  a  peculiar  and  very  grateful  flavor,  especially  if  made  into  a  con- 
serve with  sugar.  The  pulp  of  the  fruit,  besides  saccharine  matter,  contains  citric  acid, 
which  gives  it  an  acid  taste.  The  pulp,  before  it  is  used,  should  be  carefully  cleared 
from  the  nuts  or  seeds.  A  shrub,  growing  to  the  height  of  6  ft.  or  10  ft.,  and  flowering 
in  June  and  July. 

58.  R.  FO'RSTERI  Sm.    Forster's  Dog  Rose. 

Identification.  Smith  Engl  Pl.t  2.  p.  302;  Borr.  in  Eng.  Bot.  SuppL,  2611 ;  Don's 
Mill.,  2,'  p.  580. 

Synonyme.    R.  collina  /?  and  y,  Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  392. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  scattered,  conical,  hooked.  Leaflets  >  simply  serrated, 
smooth  above,  but  hairy  on  the  ribs  beneath.  Sepals  doubly  pinnate.  Fruit  elliptical, 
smooth,  like  the  aggregate  flower  stalks.  A  native  of  Europe,  in  hedges ;  plentiful  in 
England.  Flowers  pale  red.  A  shrub,  growing  to  the  height  of  from  6  Ft.  to  8  ft. ;  flow- 
ering in  June  and  July. 

59.  R.  DUMETOXRUM  Ttiuill.    The  Thicket  Dog  Rose. 

Identification,.  Thuil.  Fl.  Par.,  250;  Bor.  in  Eng.  Bot.  SuppL,  t.  2610;  Don's  Mill., 
2,  p.  580. 

Synonymes.  R.  leucantha  /?  acutifolia  Bast,  in  Dec.  Fl.  Fr.,  5,  p.  535 ;  R.  sepium 
Borkh.  ex  Ran.  Enum.,  79;  R.  solstitialis  Bess.  Prim.  Fl.  Gall.,  324;  R.  corymbifera 
Gmel.  FL.  Bad.  Als.,  2,  p.  427. 

Spec.  Char.,  <f*c.  Prickles  numerous,  scattered,  hooked.  Leaflets  simply  serrated, 
hairy  on  both  surfaces.  Sepals  pinnate,  deciduous.  Peduncles  aggregate,  slightly 
hairy.  Fruit  elliptical,  smooth,  as  long  as  the  bracteas.  Native  of  Europe,  in  hedges  ; 
and  found,  in  England,  in  the  southern  counties,  but  seldom  in  any  abundance.  Flow- 
ers reddish.  A  shrub,  growing  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.  in  height,  and  flowering  in  June  and 
July. 

60.  R.  BRACTE'SCENS   Woods.    The  bractescent  Dog  Rose. 

Identification.     Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  216;  Don's  Mill.  2,  p.  580. 

Spec.  Char.  &c.  Prickles  aggregate,  hooked.  Leaflets  ovate,  almost  simply  ser- 
rated, downy  beneath.  Bracteas  rising  much  above  the  fruit.  Sepals  pinnate,  falling 
off.  Peduncles  aggregate,  occasionally  rather  hairy.  Fruit  globose,  smooth.  Native 
of  England,  in  hedges,  about  Ulverton,  Lancashire ;  and  Ambleton,  Westmoreland. 
Flowers  flesh-colored.  A  shrub,  6  ft.  to  7  ft.  high,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

61.  R.  SARMENTAVCEA  Swcirtz.    The  sarmentaceous  Dog  Rose. 
Identification.     Swartz  MSS. ;  Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  213;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p. 

Synonymes.  R.  glaucophy'Ua  Winch  Geogr.  Distrib.,  45:  R.  canina  RothFL  Germ.. 
2,  p.  560. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  hooked.  Leaflets  ovate,  doubly  serrated,  smooth,  glandu- 
lar. Peduncles  aggregate,  smooth  or  minutely  bristly.  Sepals  pinnate,  deciduous. 
Fruit  broadly  elliptic,  naked.  Native  of  Europe,  common  in  hedges  and  bushy  places ; 
plentiful  in  Britain.  Flowers  pink,  and  fragrant.  Fruit  scarlet ;  as  grateful  to  the  pal- 
ate, probably,  as  that  of  R.  canina,  with  which  this  equally  common  plant  is  generally 
confounded.  A  shrub,  8  ft.  to  10  ft.  high ;  flowering  in  June  and  July. 

62.  R.  CJE'SIA  Sm.     The  grey  Dog  Rose. 
Identification.    Smith  Eng.  Bot.,  t.  2367;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  580. 
Synonymes.    R.  canina  pubescens  Afz.  Ros.  Suec.  Tent.,  1,  p.  2 ;  /?.  canina  £  caevsia 
Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  99. 

20 


230  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 


Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  hooked,  uniform.  Leaflets  elliptical,  somewhat  doubly 
serrated,  glaucous,  hairy  beneath,  without  glands.  Sepals  distantly  pinnate,  deciduous. 
Flower  stalks  smooth,  solitary.  Fruit  elliptical,  smooth.  Native  of  Scotland,  in  the 
Highland  valleys,  but  rare;  at  Taymilt,  in  Mid-Lorn,  Argyleshire;  and  in  Strath  Tay, 
between  Dimkeld  and  Aberfeldie,  a::u  by  the  side  of  Loch  Tay.  Flowers  generally  of  & 
uniform  carnation  hue,  but  occasionally  white.  A  shrub,  from  4  ft.  to  5  ft.  in  height ; 
flowering  in  July. 

63.  R.  BO'RRERI  Woods.     Borrer's  Dog  Rose.. 

Identification.    Woods  in  Lin.  Trans.,  12,  p.  210 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  580. 

Synonymes.  R.  dumetorum  Smith  in  Eng.  Sot.,  t.  2579 ;  ft.  rubiginosa  3-  Lindl. 
Ros.,  p.  83:  R.  rubiginosa  inodora  Hook.  Land.,  t.  117;  R.  sepium  Borkh.  ex  Ran. 
Enum.  90  ?  but  not  of  Thui!. ;  R.  affinis  Rau.  Enum.,  79 ;  R.  uncinella  B  Besser 
Enum.,  64  ? 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Prickles  hooked.  Leaflets  ovate,  doubly  serrated,  hairy,  without 
glands.  Sepals  pinnate,  often  doubly  pinnate,  deciduous.  Flower  stalks  aggregate, 
hairy.  Fruit  elliptical,  smooth.  Native  of  Britain,  in  hedges  and  thickets.  Flowers 
pale  red.  Fruit  deep  scarlet.  A  shrub,  growing  from  6  ft.  to  10  ft.  in  height ;  flowering 
in  June  and  July. 

64.  R.  RUBRIFO'LIA  Vill.    The  red-leaved  Dog  Rose. 

Identification.     Vill.  Dauph.,  3,  p.  549;  Don's  Mill,  2,  p.  581. 

Synonymes.  R.  multiflora  Reyn.  Act.  Laus.,  1,  p.  70.  t.  6 ;  R.  rubiciinda  Hall.  Ftt.  in 
Rocm.  Arcli.,  3,  p.  376 ;  R.  lurida  Andr.  Ros. ;  R:  cinnamomea  y  rubrifolia  Red.  Ros.,  1, 
p.  134. 

Spec.  Char.,  $~c.  Prickles  small,  distant.  Leaflets  ovate,  and,  as  well  as  the  branches, 
glabrous,  opaque,  discolored.  Sepals  narrow,  entire.  Fruit  ovate,  globose,  smooth. 
Flowers  corymbose.  Peduncles  smooth.  Native  of  Dauphine,  Austria,  Savoy,  Pyr- 
enees, and  Auvergne,  in  woods.  Stems  red.  Leaves  red  at  the  edges.  Flowers  small, 
deep  red.  Sepals  narrow,  longer  than  the  petals.  A  shrub,  growing  to  the  height  of  5 
ft.  or  6  ft.,  and  flowering  in  June  and  July  ;  and  producing  a  pleasing  effect  in  a  shrub- 
bery, from  the  pinkness  of  its  foliage.  At  the  funeral  of  Villars,  who  first  named  and 
described  this  rose,  branches  and  flowers  of  it  were  cut  and  strewed  over  his  grave. 

65.  R.  I'NDICA  L.     The  Indian,  or  common  China  Rose. 

Identification.     Lin.  Sp.,  705 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  581. 

Synonymes.  R.  sinica  Lin.  Syst.  Veg.,  ed.  13,  p.  393;  R.  semperflorens  carnea  Ros- 
sig.  Ros.,  t.  19;  R.  indica  chinensis  semiplena  Ser.  Mel.,  1,  p.  31;  R.  reclinata  flore 
submultiplici  Red.  Ros.,  p.  79  ;  the  monthly  Rose,  the  blush  China  Rose,  the  Tea-scent- 
ed Rose ;  Rosier  Indien,  Rose  The  Fr. ;  Indische  Rose,  Ger. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Stem  upright,  whitish,  or  green,  or  purple.  Prickles  stout, 
falcate,  distant.  Leaflets  3 — 5 ;  ovate-acuminate,  coriaceous,  shining,  glabrous, 
serrulate ;  the  surfaces  of  different  colors.  Stipules  very  narrow,  connate  with 
the  petiole,  almost  entire,  or  serrate.  Flowers  solitary,  or  in  panicles.  Stamens 
bent  inward.  Peduncle  sub-articulate,  mostly  thickened  upward,  and  with  the 
calyx  smooth,  or  wrinkled  and  bristly.  Native  of  China,  near  Canton.  Flowers 
red,  usually  semi-double.  Petioles  setigerous  and  prickly.  Petals  obcordate.  A 
shrub,  growing  to  the  height  of  from  4  ft.  to  20  ft.,  and  flowering  throughout  the 
year. 

Varieties.  There  are  numerous  varieties  of  this  beautiful  rose  cultivated  in 
England;  but  the  garden  varieties  of  it  are  very  generally  confounded  with  those 
of  R.  semperflorens.  The  following  are  quite  distinct ;  and  may  each  be  considered 
the  type  of  a  long  list  of  subvarieties. 

R.  i.  2  ATowe^iana  Ser.  in  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  600,  Don's  Mill.,  1,  p.  581.  The 
Noisette  Rose.  Stem  firm,  and,  as  well  as  the  branches,  prickly.  Stipules  nearly 
entire.  Flowers  panicled,  very  numerous,  semi-double,  pale  red.  Styles  exserted. 
This  well-known  and  very  beautiful  rose  is  almost  invaluable  in  a  shrubbery,  from 
its  free  and  vigorous  growth,  and  the  profusion  of  its  flowers,  which  are  continu- 
ally being  produced  during  the  whole  summer. 

R.  i.  3  odoratissima  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  106,  Bot.  Reg.,  t.  864,  Don's  Mill.,  ii.,  p.  582 ; 
JR.  odoratissima  Swt.  H.>rt.  Sub.  Lond. ;  R.  indica  fragrans  Red.  Ros.,  i.,  p,  b.  1. 19 ; 
the  sweetest,  or  tea-scented,  China  Rose;  Rose  a  Odeur  de  The,  Fr. ;  has  semi- 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  231 

double  flowers,  of  a  most  delicious  fragrance,  strongly  resembling  the  scent  of  the 
finest  green  tea.    There  are  numerous  subvarieties. 

G6.  R.  SEMPERFLOVREN3  Curf.    The  ever-flowering  China  Rose. 

Identification.  Curt.  Bot.  Mag.,  t.  284 ;  Smith  Exot.  Bot.  2,  p.  91 ;  Jacq.  Schonbr., 
3,  p.  281 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  582. 

Synonytnes.  R.  diversifulia  Vent.  Cels.,  t.  35 ;  R.  bengalensis  Pers.  Enck.,  2,  p.  50 ; 
R.  indica  Red.  Ros.,  1,  p.  49,  t.  13,  p.  123,  t.  46,  and  2,  p.  37,  t.  16. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Branches  dark  green,  armed  with  scattered,  compressed, 
hooked  prickles,  and  a  very  few  glands.  Leaflets  3—5,  ovate-lanceolate,  crenate- 
serratcd,  shining  above,  but  glaucous  and  slightly  setigerous  beneath.  Sepals 
compound,  narrow.  Fruit  spherical.  Native  of  China.  Flowers  solitary,  single, 
or  semi-double,  deep  crimson.  There  are  some  very  splendid  varieties  of  this 
species,  with  semi-double  crimson  flowers,  in  our  gardens;  and  the  French  appear 
to  have  some  others  still  more  beautiful,  which  have  not  yet  been  imported.  A 
shrub,  growing  from  8  ft.  to  10  ft.  in  height,  and  flowering  throughout  the  year. 
For  this  beautiful  rose  we  are  indebted  to  Gilbert  Slater,  Low-Layton,  Essex,  a 
gentleman  to  whose  memory  a  genus  has  not  yet  been  devoted,  though  he  was  the 
means  of  introducing  several  of  our  finest  plants. 

67.  R.  LAWRENCEAVNA  Swt.     Lawrence's  China  Rose. 

Identification.     Sweet  Hort.  Suburb  ;  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  110  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  532. 

Synonymes.  R.  samperflorens  minima  Sims  Bot.  Mag.,  t.  1762 ;  R.  indica  var.  a  acu- 
minata  Red.  Ros.,  1,  p.  53  ;  R.  indica  Lawrence^no  Red.  Ros.,  2,  p.  38. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Dwarf.  Prickles  large,  stout,  nearly  straight.  Leaflets  ovate, 
acute,  finely  serrated.  Petals  acuminated.  Native  of  China.  Flowers  small,  single 
or  semi-double,  pale  blush.  A  shrub,  1  ft.  in  height,  which  flowers  throughout  the  year. 
The  beautiful  little  plants  called  fairy  roses  are  nearly  all  varieties  of  R.  Lawrenceo?ia; 
and  they  are  well  worthy  of  culture,  from  their  extreme  dwarfness  (often  flowering  when 
not  more  than  six  inches  high),  and  the  beautiful  color  of  their  miniature  rose-buds,  the 
petals  of  which  appear  of  a  much  darker  hue  than  those  of  the  expanded  flower. 

IX.  SY'STYLr^J  Lindl. 
• 

Derivation.  From  sun,  together,  and  stulos,  a  style ;  in  reference  to  the  styles  being 
connected. 

Sect.  Char.  Styles  cohering  together  into  an  elongated  column. 
Stipules  adnate.  The  habit  of  this  section  is  nearly  the  same  as  that 
of  the  last  division.  The  leaves  are  frequently  permanent. 

68.  R.  SY'STYLA  Bat.    The  connate-style  Rose. 

Identification.     Bat.  Fl.  Main,  et  Loir.  Suppl.,  31 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  582. 

Synonymes.  R.  collina  Smith  in  Eng.  Bot.,  t.  1895;  R.  stylosa  Desv.  Journ.  Bot., 
2,  p.  317 ;  R.  brevistyla  Dec.  Fl.  Fr.  Suppl,  p.  537 ;  R.  bibracteata  Dec.,  1  c. ;  R.  sy'styla 
a  ovata  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  111. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Shoots  assurgent.  Prickles  strong,  hooked.  Peduncles  glandular. 
Sepals  pinnate,  deciduous.  Styles  smooth.  Floral  receptacle  conical.  Native  of 
France  and  England,  in  hedges  and  thickets ;  common  in  Sussex;  at  Walthamstow, 
duendon,  and  Clapton,  near  London ;  at  Dunnington  Castle.  Berkshire ;  near  Penshurst, 
Kent;  and  Hornsey,  Middlesex;  hills  in  the  south  of  Scotland.  Flowers  fragrant, 
pink  or  almost  white.  Fruit  ovate-oblons:.  A  shrub,  growing  from  8  ft.  to  12  ft.  in 
height,  and  flowering  from  May  to  July.  There  are  several  varieties,  but  they  do  not 
differ  materially  in  appearance  from  the  species. 

69.  R.  ARVE'NSIS  Buds.    The  Field  Rose. 

Identification.  Huds.  Fl.  Angl.,  ed.  1,  p.  192,  according  to  Lindl.  Ros.,  Mon ;  Lin. 
Mant.,  p.  245;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  596. 

Synonymes.  R.  sylvestris  Hem.  Diss.,  p.  10 ;  R.  scandens  Mcench  Weiss.  PL,  p. 
118;  R.  herperhodon  Ekrh.  Beitr.,  2,  p.  69 ;  A'.  Hdlleri  Krok.  Siles,2,p.  150;  R.  fiisca 
Mcench  Met'i.,  p.  688;  R.  serpens  Ehrh.  Arbor.,  p.  35;  R.  semnervircns  Rossig.  Ros; 
R.  ripens  Gmel  Pi.  Bad.  Als.  2,  p.  418,  Jacq.  Fragm.,  p.  69,  t.  104  ;  R.  nimpans  Reyn. 
Mem.  Laus.  1,  p.  69,  t.  5. 


232  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Shoots  cord-like.  Prickles  unequal  and  falcate.  Leaves 
deciduous,  and  composed  of  5 — 7  glabrous,  or  indistinctly  ciliated,  leaflets,  glau- 
cescent  beneath.  Stipules  diverging  at  the  tip.  Flowers  solitary  or  globose. 
Sepals  almost  entire,  short.  Styles  cohering  into  an  elongated  glabrous  column. 
Fruit  ovate,  or  ovate-globose,  coriaceous,  crimson,  glabrous,  or  a  little  hispid,  as 
well  as  the  peduncles.  In  open  situations,  a  trailing  plant,  sometimes  rooting  at 
the  joints;  but,  in  hedges,  and  among  bushes,  a  climber  by  elongation  ;  reaching 
to  their  tops,  and  covering  them  with  tufts  of  foliage  and  flowers ;  the  leaves  re- 
maining on  late  in  the  season  ;  and  the  fruit  often  remaining  on  all  the  winter. 
The  shoots  are,  in  general,  feeble,  much  divided,  and  entangled;  and  they  gener- 
ally produce,  here  and  there,  rugged  excrescences,  which  readily  take  root.  Hence 
by  budding  the  more  rare  sorts  on  the  shoots,  a  little  above  these  excrescences, 
and,  after  the  buds  have  united,  cutting  off  a  portion  of  the  shoot  containing  the 
excrescence  at  one  end,  and  the  inoculated  bud  at  the  other,  and  putting  in  these 
portions  as  cuttings,  different  varieties  may  be  propagated  with  expedition  and 
ease. 

R.  a.  2  ayreshirea  Ser.  R.  capreolata  Neill  in  Edin.  Phil.  Journ.,  No.  3,  p. 
102.  Cultivated  in  British  gardens  under  the  name  of  the  Ayrshire  Rose. 
Prickles  slender,  very  acute.  Leaflets  ovate,  sharply  serrate,  thin,  nearly  of  the 
same  color-on  both  surfaces.  Peduncles  hispid  with  glanded  hairs,  or  wrinkled. 
A  vigorous-growing  climber,  producing  shoots  sometimes  20  ft.  in  length  in  one 
season,  and  flowering  profusely  from  the  middle  of  May  to  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber. One  of  the  hardiest  of  climbing  roses,  and  particularly  useful  for  covering 
naked  walls,  or  unsightly  roofs.  It  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  of  American  origin, 
and  to  have  been  introduced  into  Ayrshire  by  the  Earl  of  Loudon. 

70.  JR.  (A.)  SEMPERVIXRENS  Liti.     The  evergreen  (Field)  Rose. 

Identification.     Lin.  Sp.,  704;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  597 ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  583. 

Synonymes.  R.  scandens  Mill.  Diet.,  No.  8 ;  R.  balearica  Desf.  Cat.  Pers.  Ench., 
2,  p.  49 ;  R.  atrovirens  Viv.  PL  Ital.,  4,  t.  6 ;  R.  sempervirens  globosa  Red.  Ros.,  2, 
with  a  fig. ;  R.  sempervirens  var.  «  scandens  Dec.  Fl.  Fr.,  5,  p.  533. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Evergreen.  Shoots  climbing.  Prickles  pretty  equal,  falcate. 
Leaves  of  5 — 7  leaflets,  that  are  green  on  both  sides,  coriaceous.  Flowers  almost 
solitary,  or  in  corymbs,  Sepals  nearly  entire,  longish.  Styles  cohering  into  an 
elongate  pilose  column.  Fruit  ovate  or  ovate-globose,  orange-colored.  Pedun- 
cles mostly  hispid  with  glanded  hairs.  Closely  allied  to  R.  arvensis,  but  differ- 
ing in  its  being  evergreen,  in  its  leaves  being  coriaceous,  and  in  its  stipules  being 
subfalcate,  and  more  acute  at  the  tip.  Native  of  France,  Portugal,  Italy,  Greece, 
and  the  Balearic  Islands.  A  climbing  shrub,  flowering  from  June  to  August. 
Used  for  the  same  purposes  as  the  Ayrshire  rose ;  from  which  it  differs  in  retain- 
ing its  leaves  the  greater  part  of  the  winter,  and  in  its  less  vigorous  shoots.  This 
species  is  well  adapted  for  rose  carpets  made  by  pegging  down  its  long  flexile 
shoots.  It  glossy,  rich  foliage  Arms,  in  this  way,  a  beautilul  carpet  of  verdure  en- 
ameled with  flowers. 

71.  R.  MULTIFLOXRA  Thunb.    The  many-flowered  Rose. 

Identification.    Thunb.  Fl.  Jap.,  214  ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  598  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  583. 

Synonyme.  R.  flava  Donn.  Hort.  Cant.,  ed.  4,  p.  121 ;  R.  florida  Pair.  Suppl. ;  R. 
diffusa  Roxb. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Branches,  peduncles,  and  calyxes  tornentose.  Shoots  very 
long.  Prickles  slender,  scattered.  Leaflets  5—7,  ovate-lanceolate  soft,  finely 
wrinkled.  Stipules  pectinate.  Flowers  in  corymbs,  and,  in  many  instances, 
very  numerous.  Buds  ovate  globose.  Sepals  short.  Styles  protruded,  incom- 
pletely grown  together  into  a  long  hairy  column.  A  climbing  shrub,  a  native  of 
Japan  and  China;  and  producing  a  profusion  of  clustered  heads  of  single,  semi- 
double,  or  double,  white,  pale  red,  or  red  flowers  in  June  and  July.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  ornamental  of  climbing  roses;  but,  to  succeed,  even  in  the  climate  of 
London,  it  requires  a  wall.  The  flowers  continue  to  expand  one  after  another 
during  nearly  two  months. 

R.  m.  2  GrcvUlei  Hort.  R.  Roxbiirghu  Hort.  ;  R.  platyphy'lla  Red.  Ros.,  p.  69. 
The  Seven  Sisters  Rose.  A  beautiful  variety  of  this  sort,  with  much  larger  and 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  233 

more  double  flowers,  of  a  purplish  color ;  and  no  climbing  rose  better  deserves  cul- 
tivation against  a  wall.  It  is  easily  known  from  R.  multiflora  by  the  fringed  edge 
of  the  stipules;  while  those  of  the  common  R.  multiflora  have  much  less  fringe, 
and  the  leaves  are  smaller,  with  the  leaflets  much  less  rugose.  The  form  of  the 
blossoms  and  corymbs  is  pretty  nearly  the  same  in  both.  A  plant  of  this  variety 
on  the  gable  end  of  R.  Donald's  house,  in  the  Goldworth  Nursery,  in  1826,  covered 
above  100  square  feet,  and  had  more  than  100  corymbs  of  bloom.  Some  of  the  co- 
rymbs had  more  than  50  buds  in  a  cluster ;  and  the  whole  a  veraged  about  30  in  each 
corymb  ;  so  that  the  amount  of  flower  buds  was  about  3000.  The  variety  of  color 
produced  by  the  buds  at  first  opening  was  not  less  astonishing  than  their  number. 
White,  light  blush,  deeper  blush,  light  red,  darker  red,  scarlet,  and  purple  flow- 
ers, all  appeared  in  the  same  corymb ;  and  the  production  of  these  seven  colors  at 
once  is  said  to  be  the  reason  why  this  plant  is  called  the  seven  sisters  rose.  This 
tree  produced  a  shoot  the  same  year  which  grew  18  ft.  in  length  in  two  or  three 
weeks.  This  variety,  when  in  a  deep  free  soil,  and  an  airy  situation,  is  of  very 
vigorous  growth,  and  a  free  flowerer ;  but  the  shoots  are  of  a  bramble-like  texture, 
and  the  plant,  in  consequence,  is  but  of  temporary  duration.  R.  Donald's  R. 
Grevillei  died  in  three  or  ibur  years. 

R.  m.  3  Russellisina.  is  a  variety  differing  considerably,  in  flowers  and  foliage, 
from  the  species,  but  retaining  the  fringed  loot-stalk;  and  is,  hence,  quite  distinct 
from  R.  sempervirens  RusselHtma. 

R.  m.  4  Boursaulli  Hort.,  DoursauWs  Rose,  is  placed,  in  Don's  Miller,  under 
this  species ;  though  it  differs  more  from  the  preceding  variety  than  many  species 
do  from  each  other.  It  is  comparatively  a  hard-wooded,  durable  rose,  and  valua- 
ble for  flowering  early  and  freely.  This  is  a  very  remarkable  rose,  from  its  pe- 
tals having  a  reticulated  appearance. 

72.  R.  BRUNOVNII  Lindl.     Brown's  Rose. 

Identification.     Lindl.  Ros.'Monog.,  p.  120,  t.  14;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  598. 

Synonyme.     R.  Bruwnii  Spreng.  Syst.,  2,  p.  556. 

Spec.  Char.,  <frc.  Shoots  trailing.  Prickles  of  the  stem  stout  and  arched.  Leaflets 
5 — 7,  lanceolate,  pilose  on  both  surfaces ;  the  under  one  glandulous,  and  of  a  different 
color  from  the  upper  one.  Stipules  narrow,  acute.  Inflorescence  corymbose.  Pedun- 
cles and  calyxes  pilose,  and  a  little  hispid.  Sepals  entire,  narrow,  and  longish.  Styles 
cohering  into  a  very  long  pilose  column.  Fruit  ovate.  A  native  of  Nepal.  Leaves 
simply  serrated.  Flowers  in  terminal  bunches,  white  or  pale  red.  A  rambling  shrub, 
flowering  in  June  and  July. 

73.  R.  MOSCHAVTA  Mitt.    The  Musk  Rose. 

Identification.  Mill.  Diet.,  No.  13;  Red.  et  Thor.  Ros.,  1,  p.  33,  ic.,  and  p.  99,  ic; 
Lindl.  Rosar.  Monog.,  p.  121 ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  59S ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  pi  583. 

Synonymes.     R.  opsostemma  Ehrh.  fieitr.,  2,  p.  72 ;  R.  glandulifera  Roxb. 

Spec.  Ckur.,  <j*c.  Shoots  ascending.  Prickles  upon  the  stem  slender,  recurved. 
Leaflets  5—7,  lanceolate,  acuminate,  nearly  glabrous,  the  two  surfaces  of  different 
colors.  Stipules  very  narrow,  acute.  Flowers,  in  many  instances,  very  numer- 
ous ;  white,  with  the  claws  of  the  petals  yellow ;  very  fragrant.  Lateral  pedun- 
cles jointed,  and,  as  well  as  the  calyx,  pilose,  and  almost  hispid.  Sepals  almost 
pinnately  cut,  long.  Fruit  red,  1  ovate. 

Description,  fyc.  The  branches  of  the  musk  rose  are  generally  too  weak  to  sup- 
port, without  props,  its  large  bunches  of  flowers,  which  are  produced  in  an  umbel- 
like  manner  at  their  extremities.  The  musky  odor  is  very  perceptible,  even  at 
some  distance  from  the  plant,  particularly  in  the  evening, — 

"  When  each  inconstant  breeze  that  blows 
Steals  essence  from  the  musky  rose." 

Jt  is  said  to  be  a  native  of  Barbary ;  but  this  has  been  doubted.  It  is,  however, 
found  wild  in  Tunis,  and  is  cultivated  there  for  the  sake  of  an  essential  oil,  which 
is  obtained  from  the  petals  by  distillation.  It  has  also  been  found  wild  in  Spain. 
The  first  record  of  the  musk  rose  having  been  cultivated  in  England  is  in  Hakluyt, 
in  1582,  who  states  that  the  musk  rose  was  brought  to  England  from  Italy.  It 
was  in  common  cultivation  in  the  time  of  Gerard,  and  was  formerly  much  valued 
for  its  musky  fragrance,  when  that  scent  was  th2  fashionable  perfume.  The  Per- 

20* 


234  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

sian  attar  of  roses  is  said  to  be  obtained  from  this  species.  The  musk  rose  does 
best  trained  against  a  wall,  on  account  of  the  length  and  weakness  of  its  branches  ; 
and  Miller  adds  that  it  should  always  be  pruned  in  spring,  as  in  winter  it  will 
not  bear  the  knife.  It  requires  very  little  pruning,  as  the  flowers  are  produced  at 
the  extremities  of  the  shoots,  which  are  often  10  ft.  or  12  ft.  in  length.  It  flowers 
freely,  and  is  well  worthy  of  cultivation.  This  rose  is  thought  by  some  to  be  the 
same  as  that  of  Gyrene,  which  Athenaeus  has  mentioned  as  affording  a  delicious 
perfume,  but  of  this  there  is  no  certain  evidence.  It  seems  to  have  been  rare  in 
Europe  in  the  time  of  Gessner,  the  botanist,  who,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Occon,  dated 
Zurich  1565,  says  that  it  was  growing  in  a  garden  at  Augsburg,  and  was  extremely 
anxious  that  the  doctor  should  procure  some  of  its  shoots  for  him.  Rivers  men- 
tions that  Olivier,  a  French  traveler  speaks  of  a  rose  tree  at  Ispahan,  called 
the  "  Chinese  Rose  Tree,"  fifteen  feet  high,  formed  by  the  union  of  several  stems, 
each  four  or  five  inches  in  diameter.  Seeds  of  this  tree  were  sent  to  Paris  and 
produced  the  common  Musk  Rose. 


74.  R.  RUBiFoYiA  R.  Br.    The  Bramble-leaved  Rose. 

Identification.  R.  Brown  in  Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  ed.  2,  vol.  3,  p.  260  ;  Lindl.  Rosar. 
Monog.',  p.  123,  ic  ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  593. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Stems  ascending.  Branches  glabrous.  Prickles  scattered,  fal- 
cate. Leaves  pubescent  beneath.  Leaflets  3,  ovate-lanceolate,  serrate.  Stipules  nar- 
row, entire.  Flowers  very  small,  of  a  rosy  color,  mostly  solitary.  Buds  ovate.  Sepals 
ovate,  short,  simple.  Peduncles  and  calyxes  a  little  hispid.  Styles  cohering  into  a 
tomentose  club-shaped  column,  as  long  as  the  stamens.  Fruit  pea-shaped.  A  native 
of  North  America.  A  shrub,  from  3  ft.  to  4  ft.  in  height,  and  flowering  in  August  and 
September. 

X.  BANKSIANN;E  Lindl. 

Derivation.  So  called  in  consequence  of  all  the  species  contained  in  this  section 
agreeing  in  character  with  R.  Banksice,  a  rose  named  in  honor  of  Lady  Banks. 

Identification.     Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  125  ;  Don's  Mill.,  2,  p.  584. 

Sect.  Char.,  <fyc.  Stipules  nearly  free,  subulate,  or  very  narrow, 
usually  deciduous.  Leaflets  usually  ternate,  shining.  Stems  climb- 
ing. The  species  of  this  section  are  remarkable  for  their  long,  grace- 
ful, and  often  climbing,  shoots,  drooping  flowers,  and  trifoliolate  shin- 
ing leaves.  They  are  particularly  distinguished  by  their  deciduous, 
subulate,  or  very  narrow  stipules.  Their  fruit  is  very  variable. 

75.  R.  SI'NICA  Ait.    The  trifoliate-leaved  China  Rose. 

Identification.  Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  ed.  2,  vol  3,  p.  261  ;  Lindl.  Ros.,  p.  126,  t.  16;  Don's 
Mill.,  2,  p.  584. 

Synonymes.  R.  trifoliata  Dose  Diet,  ex  Pair.  ;  R.  ternata  Poir.  Suppl.,  6,  p.  284  ;  R. 
cherokeensis  Don.  Hort.  Cant.,  ed.  8,  p.  170;  R.  nivea  Dec.  Hort.  Monsp.,  137,  Red. 
/.'os.,  2,  p.  81,  with  a  fig. 

Spec.  Char.,  <$*c.  Stipules  setaceous,  deciduous.  Cauline  prickles  equal,  falcate. 
'Petioles  and  ribs  of  leaves  prickly.  Peduncles  and  fruit  beset  with  straight  bristles. 
Sepals  entire,  permanent.  Flowers  white,  solitary.  Fruit  elliptic,  orange-red.  Disk 
conical.  A  rambling  shrub,  a  native  of  China,  and  flowering  in  May  and  June. 

76.  R.  BA'NKSIJE  R.  Br.     Lady  Bank's  Rose. 

Identification.  R.  Br.  in  Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  ed.  2,  vol.  3,  p.  256  ;  Lindl.  Rosar.  Monog., 
p.  131  ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  601. 

Synonymes.  R.  BanksiUna  Abel  Chin.,  160  ;  R.  ine"rmis  Roxb.  1 
Spec.  Char.,  tyc.  Without  prickles,  glabrous,  smooth.  Leaflets  3  —  5,  lanceo- 
late, sparingly  serrated,  approximate.  Stipules  bristle-like,  scarcely  attached  to 
the  petiole,  rather  glossy,  deciduous.  Flowers  in  umbel-like  corymbs,  numerous, 
very  double,  sweet-scented,  nodding.  Tube  of  the  calyx  a  little  dilated  at  the  tip. 
Fruit  globose,  black.  A  native  of  China.  A  climbing  shrub,  flowering  in  June 
and  July. 


BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION.  235 

Description,  fyc.  This  is  an  exceedingly  beautiful  and  very  remarkable  kind  of 
rose;  the  flowers  being  small,  round,  and  Very  double,  on  long  peduncles,  and  re- 
sembling in  form  the  flowers  of  the  double  French  cherry,  or  that  of  a  small  ra- 
nunculus, more  than  those  of  the  generality  of  roses.  The  flowers  of  R.  Banks^z 
alba  are  remarkaly  fragrant ;  the  scent  strongly  resembling  that  of  violets. 

77.  R.  MICROCA'RPA  Lindl.    The  small-fruited  Rose. 
Identification.    Lindl.  Rosar.  Monog.,  130,  t.  18 ;  Dec.  Prod.,  2,  p.  601. 
Synonyme.     R.  cymosa  Trait.  Ros.,  1,  p.  87. 

Spec.  C7tar.,  fyc.  Prickles  scattered,  recurved.  Leaflets  3 — 5,  lanceolate,  shining, 
the  two  surfaces  different  in  color.  Petioles  pilose.  Stipules  bristle-shaped  or  awl- 
shaped,  scarcely  attached  to  the  petiole,  deciduous.  Flowers  disposed  in  dichotomous 
corymbs.  Peduncles  and  calyxes  glabrous.  Styles  scarcely  protruded  higher  than  the 
plane  of  the  spreading  of  the  flower.  Fruit  globose,  pea-shaped,  scarlet,  shining.  Al- 
lied to  R.  BanksitE.  A  native  of  China,  in  the  province  of  Canton.  Flowers  very  nu- 
merous, small,  white.  A  rambling  shrub,  flowering  from  May  to  September. 

1,  L.  BERBERIFONLIA  Lindl.    The  Berberry-leaved  Lowea. 

Identification.     Lindley  in  Bot.  Reg.,  t.  1261. 

Synonymes.  Rosa  simplicifolia  Sal.  Hort.  Allert.,  359,  Parad.  Land.,  t.  101,  Oli- 
tier's  Voyage,  5,  49,  atl.  t.  43 ;  R.  berberifolia  Pall,  in  Nov.  Act.  Petr.,  10,  379,  t.  10,  f. 
5,  Willd.  Sp.,  2;  p.  1063,  Ait.  Hort.  Kew.,  ed.  2,  3,  p.  258,  Smith  in  Rees'  Cyclopaedia, 
Redoute  Ros.,  1,  27,  t.  2,  Lindl.  Rosarum  Monog.,  p.  1,  French  edition,  p.  23,  Dec.  Prod., 
2,  p.  602,  Spreng.  Syst.,  2,  p.  546,  Wallrotk  Monog.,  p.  25. 

Spec.  Char.,  fyc.  Leaves  undivided,  without  stipules,  obovate-cuneate,  serrated 
at  the  tip.  Prickles  decurrent,  and  of  the  color  of  ivory.  Sepals  entire,  subspath- 
ulate.  Petals  yellow,  marked  with  purple  at  the  base.  An  undershrub,  a  native 
of  Persia,  near  Amadan,  where  it  abounds  in  saltish  soil ;  and  also  in  fields  at 
the  bottom  of  Mount  Elwend,  and  in  the  Desert  of  Soongaria.  It  grows  to  the 
height  of  2  ft.,  and  flowers  in  June  and  July.  It  is  said  to  be  so  common  in  Per- 
sia, that,  according  to  Michaux,  who  first  brought  it  into  France,  it  is  used  for 
healing  ovens. 

We  have  classed  this  singular  plant  with  the  Rose,  although  Dr.  Lindley  makes 
it  a  separate  genus,  under  the  name  of  Lowea,  and  with  very  correct  reasoning. 
There  are,  however,  many  who  have  been  accustomed  to  consider  it  a  Rose,  and 
would  be  disappointed  in  not  finding  it  here,  and  we  therefore  give  it  the  old  clas- 
sification. 

Description,  fyc.  The  plant  of  this  species  in  the  garden  of  the  London  Horti- 
cultural Society  is  an  undershrub,  with  recumbent,  slender,  and  rather  intricate 
branches,  and  whitish  leaves.  It  rarely  flowers ;  and,  in  regard  to  its  propagation 
and  culture,  Dr.  Lindley,  in  the  Dot.  Reg.  for  August,  1829,  remarks  that  no  more 
appears  to  be  now  known  of  it,  than  was  at  the  period  of  its  first  introduction  in 
1790.  "  It  resists  cultivation  in  a  remarkable  manner,  submitting  permanently 
neither  to  budding  nor  grafting,  nor  layering,  nor  striking  from  cuttings,  nor,  in 
short,  to  any  of  those  operations,  one  or  other  of  which  succeeds  with  other  plants. 
Drought  does  not  suit  it ;  it  does  not  thrive  in  wet ;  heat  has  no  beneficial  effect, 
cold  no  prejudicial  influence;  care  does  not  improve  it,  neglect  does  not  injure  it. 
Of  all  the  numerous  seedlings  raised  by  the  Horticultural  Society  from  seeds  sent 
home  by  Sir  Henry  Wilcock,  and  distributed,  scarcely  a  plant  remains  alive. 
Two  are  still  growing  in  a  peat  border  in  the  Chiswick  Garden,  tjUt  they  are 
languishing  and  unhealthy;  and  we  confess  that  observation  of  them,  in  a  living 
state,  for  nearly  four  years,  has  not  suggested  a  single  method  of  improving  the 
cultivation  of 'the  species."  These  plants  still  remain  without  increase;  bat 
young  plants  may  be  obtained  in  some  of  the  nurseries,  which  have  been  raised 
from  seeds;  and  at  Vienna,  as  we  are  informed  by  Mr.  Charles  Rauch,  it  suc- 
ceeds perfectly  by  budding  on  the  common  dog  rose. 

Thunberg  speaks  of  the  Rosa  rugosa,  as  growing  in  China  and 
Japan,  being  extensively  cultivated  in  the  gardens  of  those  coun- 


236  BOTANICAL    CLASSIFICATION. 

tries,  and  producing  flowers  of  a  pale  red  or  pure  white.  The 
original  plant  is  of  a  deep  purple  color.  Siebold,  in  his  treatise 
on  the  flowers  of  Japan,  says  that  this  rose  had  been  already  cul- 
tivated in  China  about  eleven  hundred  years,  and  that  the  ladies 
of  the  Court,  under  the  dynasty  of  Long,  prepared  a  very  choice 
pot-pourri  by  mixing  its  petals  with  musk  and  camphor. 

More  than  one  hundred  distinct  varieties  are  mentioned  by 
botanists,  in  addition  to  those  we  have  enumerated,  but  none  of 
very  marked  characters  or  much  known. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

HE  varieties  of  a  plant  are,  by  Botanists,  de- 
signated  by  names  intended  to  convey  an 
idea  of  certain  characteristics,  —  the  form 
and  consistency  of  the  leaves — the  arrange- 
ment, number,  size,  and  color  of  the  flowers, 
seed-vessels,  &c.  The  varieties  of  roses, 
however,  have  so  few  distinct  characteristics, 
that  amateurs  find  it  difficult  to  give  any  name  expressive  of  the 
very  slight  shades  of  difference  in  the  color  or  form  of  the  flower. 
Fanciful  names  have  therefore  been  chosen,  indiscriminately, 
according  to  the  taste  of  the  grower  ;  and  we  thus  find  classed, 
in  brotherly  nearness,  Napoleon  and  Wellington,  dueen  Vic- 
toria and  Louis  Philippe,  Othello  and  Wilberforce,  with  many 
others.  Any  half-dozen  English  or  French  rose  growers  may 
give  the  name  of  their  favorite  Wellington  or  Napoleon  to  a  rose 
raised  by  each  of  them,  and  entirely  different  in  form  and  color 
from  the  other  five  bearing  the  same  name.  Thus  has  arisen 
the  great  confusion  in  rose  nomenclature. 

A  still  greater  difficulty  and  confusion,  however,  exists  in  the 
classification  adopted  by  the  various  English  and  French  rose 
growers.  By  these,  classes  are  multiplied  and  roses  placed  in 
them  without  sufficient  attention  to  their  distinctive  characters  ; 
these  are  subsequently  changed  to  other  classes,  to  the  utter  con- 
fusion of  those  who  are  really  desirous  of  attaining  some  know- 
ledge of  the  respective  varieties.  Even  Rivers,  the  most  correct 
of  them  all,  has  in  several  catalogues  the  same  rose  in  as  many 


238 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


different  classes,  and  his  book  may  perhaps  place  it  in  another. 
He  thus  comments  upon  this  constant  change  : 

"  Within  the  last  ten  years,  how  many  plants  have  been 
named  and  unnamed,  classed  and  re-classed  ! — Professor  A.  pla- 
cing it  here,  and  Dr.  B.  placing  it  there  !  I  can  almost  imagine 
Dame  Nature  laughing  in  her  sleeve,  when  our  philosophers  are 
thus  puzzled.  Well,  so  it  is,  in  a  measure,  with  roses  :  a  variety 
has  often  equal  claims  to  two  classes.  First  impressions  have 
perhaps  placed  it  in  one.  and  there  rival  amateurs  should  let  it 
remain." 

If  there  exists,  then,  this  doubt  of  the  proper  class  to  which 
many  roses  belong,  we  think  it  would  be  better  to  drop  entirely 
this  sub-classification,  and  adopt  some  more  general  heads,  under 
one  of  which  every  rose  can  be  classed.  It  may  often  be  difficult 
to  ascertain  whether  a  rose  is  a  Damask,  a  Provence,  or  a  Hybrid 
China  ;  but  there  can  be  no  difficulty  in  ascertaining  whether  it 
is  dwarf  or  climbing,  whether  it  blooms  once  or  more  in  the  year, 
and  whether  the  leaves  are  rough  as  in  the  Remontants,  or 
smooth  as  in  the  Bengals.  We  have  therefore  endeavored  to 
simplify  the  old  classification,  and  have  placed  all  roses  under 
three  principal  heads,  viz. : 

I.  Those  that   make  distinct  and  separate  periods  of  bloom 
throughout  the  season,  as  the  Remontant  Roses. 

II.  Those  that  bloom  continually,  without  any  temporary  ces- 
sation, as  the  Bourbon,  China,  &c. 

III.  Those  that  bloom  only  once  in  the  season,  as  the  French 
and  others. 

The  first  of  these  includes  only  the  present  Damask  and  Hy- 
brid Perpetuals,  and  for  these  we  know  no  term  so  expressive  as 
the  French  REMONTANT.  Perpetual  does  not  express  their  true 
character. 

The  second  general  head  we  call  EVERBLOOMING.  This  is 
divided  into  five  classes  : 

1.  The  BOURBON  which  are  easily  known  by  their  luxuriant 
growth  and  thick,  large,  leathery  leaves.  These  are,  moreover, 
perfectly  hardy. 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATI    N.  239 

2.  The  CHINA,  which  includes  the  present  China,  Tea,  and 
Noisette  Roses,  which  are  now  much  confused,  as  there  are  many 
among  the  Teas  which  are  not  tea-scented,  and  among  the  Noi- 
settes which  do  not  bloom  in  clusters  ;    they  are,  moreover,  so 
much   alike  in  their  growth  and  habit,   that  it  is  better  each 
should  stand  upon  its  own  merits,  and  not  on  the  characteristics 
of  an  imaginary  class. 

3.  MUSK,  known  by  its  rather  rougher  foliage. 

4.  MACARTNEY,  known  by  its  very  rich,  glossy  foliage,  almost 
evergreen. 

5.  MICROPHYLLA,  easily  distinguished  by  its  peculiar  foliage 
and  straggling  habit. 

The  third  general  head  we  divide  again  into  five  classes  : 

1.  GARDEN  ROSES.     This  includes  all   the  present  French, 
Provence,  Hybrid   Provence,  Hybrid  China,   Hybrid   Bourbon, 
White,  and  Damask  Roses,  many  of  which,  under  the  old  ar- 
rangement, differ  more  from  others  in  their  own  class  than  from 
many  in  another  class. 

2.  Moss  ROSES,  all  of  which  are  easily  distinguished. 

3.  BRIAR  ROSES,  which  will  include  the  Sweet-Briar,  Hybrid 
Sweet-Briar,  and  Austrian  Briar. 

4.  The  SCOTCH  ROSE. 

5.  CLIMBING  ROSES  ;  which  are  again  divided   into  all  the 
distinctive  subdivisions. 

We  had  thought  of  making  a  separate  group  of  roses  that  are 
so  robust  as  to  need  some  support,  and  to  call  these  Pillar  Roses ; 
but,  for  various  reasons,  deem  it  better  to  leare  them  among  the 
others  for  the  present,  simply  designating  them  as  Pillar.  In 
describing  colors,  we  have  given  those  which  prevail.  It  is  well 
known  that  many  roses  are  very  variable  in  this  respect,  and 
that  the  same  flower  will  frequently  be  white  or  yellow,  crimson 
or  blush,  at  different  periods  of  its  bloom.  We  have  seen  a  plant 
produce  several  flowers  totally  unlike  each  other,  one  being 
dark  crimson  and  the  other  pale  blush.  We  therefore  describe 
the  prevailing  color,  and  the  cultivator  should  not  be  disap- 
pointed if  his  rose,  the  first  season,  should  not  correspond  with 


240  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

the  description  ;  neither  should  he  be  disappointed  if  a  rose  which 
we  describe  as  very  double,  should  with  him  prove  very  single. 
Transplanting  will  often  temporarily  change  the  character  of 
roses,  and  they  often  refuse  to  develop  themselves  perfectly  under 
our  hot  sun,  or  in  a  poor  soil.  A  second  season  is  thus  often 
required  to  test  them  fairly.  We  have  seen  the  fine  rose  figured 
in  this  work.  La  Reine,  semi-double  and  worthless  at  midsum- 
mer, while  at  other  seasons,  and  perhaps  in  a  different  location, 
it  is  fully  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  our  engraving.  It  is  fre- 
quently th  ••  -ase,  that  roses  imported  from  Europe,  under  glowing 
descriptions,  prove  worthless  the  first  season,  but  fully  sustain 
their  character  the  second.  We  mention  these  things  here,  in 
order  that  the  amateur  may  be  prepared  for  any  temporary  dis- 
appointment that  may  occur.  In  describing  two  hundred  choice 
varieties,  we  have  endeavored  to  select  those  whose  character  is 
well  established .  for  superior  and  distinct  qualities.  There  are 
many  equally  good  that  have  been  necessarily  omitted,  and  there 
are  also  new  varieties  we  have  recently  received  from  Europe, 
which  may  prove  superior  to  many  we  have  named. 

Prom  this  list  of  two  hundred,  the  rose  amateur  may  feel  safe 
in  selecting,  without  incurring  the  risk  of  obtaining  inferior  vari- 
eties. A  descriptive  catalogue  of  3,000  kinds,  with  their  syno- 
nym es,  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  work. 


ROSES  THAT  BLOOM  DURING  THE  WHOLE  SEASON, 

REMOXTANT    ROSES. 

The  term  REMONTANT — signifying,  literally,  to  grow  again — 
we  have  chosen  to  designate  this  class  of  roses,  there  being  no 
word  in  our  own  language  equally  expressive.  They  were  for- 
merly called  Damask  and  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  but  are  distin- 
guished from  the  true  Perpetual  or  Everblooming  Roses  by  their 
peculiarity  of  distinct  and  separate  periods  of  bloom.  They 
bloom  with  the  other  roses  in  early  summer,  then  cease  for  a 


GARDEN    CL  A  S  S I F 1  C  A  T  I O N .  24 1 


while,  then  make  a  fresh  season  of  bloom,  and  thus  through  the 
summer  and  autumn,  differing  entirely  from  the  Bourhon  and 
Bengal  Roses,  which  grow  and  bloom  continually  through  the 
summer.  In  order,  therefore,  to  avoid  confusion,  we  have 
deemed  it  best  to  adopt  the  French  term,  REMONTANT. 

These  roses  have  generally  been  obtained  by  hybridization 
between  the  Hybrid  China  and  Damask  and  the  Bourbon  and 
China  Roses,  uniting  the  luxuriant  growth  and  hardy  character 
of  the  two  former  with  the  everbloom ing  qualities  of  the  latter. 
They  are  generally  large,  double,  very  fragrant,  and  bloom, 
many  of  them,  freely  throughout  the  season.  They  are  also 
perfectly  hardy,  and  grow  well  in  any  climate  without  protection. 
These  qualities  render  them  very  desirable,  and  they  are  fast 
driving  out  of  cultivation  the  Garden  Roses,  which  bloom  but 
once,  and  during  the  rest  of  the  season  cumber  the  ground. 
There  are,  it  is  true,  among  the  latter  some  varieties  like  Ma- 
dame Plan  tier,  Chenedole,  Persian  Yellow,  and  others,  that  are 
not  equaled  by  any  varieties  existing  among  the  Remontants. 
Such,  however,  is  the  skill  now  exerted  by  rose  growers,  that 
this  will  not  long  be  the  case,  and  we  may  hope  soon  to  have 
among  the  Remontants,  roses  of  every  shade  of  color,  with  the 
snow-like  whiteness  of  Mad.  Piantier,  the  golden  richness  of  Per- 
sian Yellow,  or  the  peculiar  brilliancy  of  Chenedole. 

These  roses  are  difficult  of  propagation  in  any  other  way  than 
budding,  and  two  or  three  varieties  only  will  readily  take  from 
cuttings.  When  budded  on  strong  stocks,  however,  they  will 
nearly  all  make  luxuriant  shoots  and  show  an  abundant  bloom. 
The  following  varieties  are  among  the  most  esteemed  for  various 
excellent  qualities.  The  other  varieties  will  be  found  in  the  list 
at  the  end  of  the  work. 

AMANDA  PATENOTTE  is  a  new  rose,  and  one  of  a  class  re- 
cently originated  by  Vibert,  having  the  scent  of  the  Dog  Rose. 
It  has  large,  bright,  rose-colored  flowers,  very  double,  and  globu- 
lar. It  is  also  very  fragrant. 

AUBERNON  is  a  brilliant  and  beautiful  crimson  rose,  opens 
well,  and  blooms  abundantly  throughout  the  season. 

21 


242  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


AUGUSTINE  MOUCHELET  is  a  beautiful  and  desirable  variety. 
Its  color  is  a  rich  velvety  crimson,  slightly  shaded,  and  much  re- 
sembling La  Reine.  As  a  forcing  rose  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any 
in  this  class,  and,  under  our  glass,  has  scarcely  been  equaled  the 
past  two  seasons.  It  has  all  the  fragrance  of  the  Damask  Rose, 
opens  well,  and  blooms  abundantly.  In  the  open  ground,  how- 
ever, it  is  not  equal  to  some  other  varieties. 

BARONNE  PREVOST  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  this  class,  bloom- 
ing freely  in  autumn,  and  producing  very  fragrant  flowers,  of  a 
bright  rose  color.  It  is  also  of  luxuriant  growth,  and  large,  rich 
foliage. 

BERNARD  is  a  desirable  rose,  with  small  but  very  fragrant 
flow^ers.  The}'  are  well  formed  and  double,  and  their  color  a 
light  carmine  tinted  with  salmon. 

BLANCHE  VIBERT  is  one  of  the  new  white  roses  received  this 
season  from  Vibert.  It  is  of  the  same  class  with  Amanda  Pate- 
notte,  and  one  of  the  few  white  Remontants.  It  is  of  medium 
size  and  double,  slightly  inclines  to  yellow  when  it  first  opens,, 
and  blooms  profusely  throughout  the  season.  It  was  considered 
so  great  an  acquisition  in  Paris,  that  our  correspondent  there  in- 
voiced it  to  us  last  spring  at  thirty-two  francs. 

COMTE  o'Eu  is  a  fine  rose,  opening  and  blooming  freely.  Its 
color  is  a  bright  carmine,  inclining  to  scarlet,  its  foliage  and 
flower  somewhat  resembling  those  of  Gloire  de  Rosamene,  al- 
though not  possessing  the  pillar  habit  of  that  luxuriant  rose. 
Its  form  is  cupped. 

COMTE  DE  PARIS  is  one  of  the  best,  growing  and  blooming 
freely  throughout  the  summer.  It  is  double  and  globular,  and 
possesses  a  very  agreeable  tea  scent.  Its  color  is  light  crimson 
with  a  shade  of  lilac. 

COTVITESSE  DUCHATEL  is  a  cupped  and  large  flower,  very 
double,  fragrant  and  perfect.  Its  color  is  a  bright  rose. 

CRIMSON  PERPETUAL  is  an  old  rose,  and  one  of  the  very  best. 
Its  form  is  cupped ;  its  color  is  rich  crimson ;  and  its  fragrance 
delightful.  A  small  bed  of  these  will  furnish  an  abundance  of 
flowers  through  the  whole  season.  It  very  rarely  will  flourish  on 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  243 


its  own  root,  but  will  make  luxuriant  growths  when  budded  on  a 
strong  stock.  It  was  introduced  by  Calvert,  a  nurseryman  of 
Rouen,  in  France,  having  been  originated  by  Lelieur,  the  gardener 
of  Louis  XVIII.,  at  Sevres,  who  wished  to  name  it  after  himself. 
The  rose  was,  however,  so  much  admired,  that  the  minister 
wished  it  named  Rose  du  Roi,  and  appealed  to  the  king,  who 
decided  in  the  minister's  favor,  when  Lelieur  immediately  re- 
signed his  situation. 

DR.  MARX  is  a  hardy  and  luxuriant  growing  rose,  blooms  freely 
throughout  the  summer  and  autumn,  and  is  very  fragrant.  Its 
shape  is  cupped  and  fine,  and  its  color  a  bright,  rosy  carmine. 

Due  D'AUMALE  is  a  new  and  thrifty  variety,  with  beautiful 
and  very  fragrant  flowers  of  a  bright  crimson. 

DUCHESS  OF  SUTHERLAND  is  a  very  beautiful  cupped  rose.  Its 
growth  and  foliage  are  very  luxuriant,  and  its  color  delicate  rose. 
It  cannot  however  be  relied  upon  for  an  autumnal  bloom. 

ELIZA  BALCOMBE  is  one  of  the  new  white  Remontants.  Its 
flowers  are  Avell  formed  and  small,  sometimes  slightly  tinted  with 
blush,  and  blooming  in  clusters.  Like  the  other  white  Remon- 
tants, it  is  a  desirable  acquisition  to  this  class. 

ERNESTINE  DE  BARENTE  is  one  of  the  new  French  roses,  and 
is  indeed  a  beautiful  little  flower,  very  regularly  cupped,  very 
double,  and  in  shape  much  resembling  a  fine  double  Ranunculus. 
Its  size  is  scarcely  larger  than  a  quarter  dollar,  and  its  color  is  a 
bright  pink.  With  its  delicate,  small,  dark  foliage,  good  habit, 
perfect  hardiness,  and  abundant  blooming  qualities,  it  forms  one 
of  the  most  desirable  little  floral  gems  we  know. 

EARL  TALBOT  is  a  very  double  and  fragrant  rose,  of  the  largest 
size.  Its  color  is  a  deep  rose,  and  it  is  well  adapted  for  a  warm, 
dry  climate,  and  for  forcing. 

LADY  ALICE  PEEL  is  a  very  perfect  and  beautiful  rose,  finely 
cupped  and  very  double.  Its  color  is  deep  pink,  often  veined 
with  red. 

LA  REINE  is  the  largest  Remontant  rose  known.  It  is  beau- 
tifully cupped,  almost  globular,  very  double,  and  very  fragrant. 
Its  color  is  a  brilliant  rose,  slightly  tinged  with  lilac,  and  as 


244  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

bloomed  in  our  grounds,  is  not  at  all  inferior  to  the  frontispiece. 
Its  foliage  arid  habit  are  very  good,  and  it  may  fairly  rank  as  one 
of  the  most  magnificent  roses.  It  owes  its  origin  to  Laffay,  and 
made  its  appearance  in  1843. 

LAURENCE  DE  MONTMORENCY  is  a  new  and  very  fine  variety. 
Its  flowers  are  cupped,  well  formed,  large,  and  very  double.  Their 
color  is  a  deep,  rosy  pink,  tinted  with  lilac. 

MADAME  LAFFAY  is  unsurpassed  in  beauty  of  form  and  bril- 
liancy of  color.  Its  beautifully  cupped  form  is  almost  perfect, 
although  of  medium  size.  Its  fine,  large  foliage,  and  its  very 
fragrant  flowers  of  a  glowing,  rosy  crimson,  place  it  at  the  very 
head  of  this  class.  It  blooms  freely  throughout  the  summer  and 
autumn,  and  its  form  and  color  render  it,  like  Chenedole,  striking 
among  a  thousand  flowers. 

MARQ,UISE  BO^ELLA  is  a  rose  of  very  robust  but  rather  dwarf 
habit,  with  stiff  and  erect  flower-stems.  Its  flower  is  fragrant, 
large,  very  double,  and  of  a  pale  rose  color.  It  is  a  free  bloomer, 
and  one  of  the  best  of  the  pale  Remontant  roses. 

MAUGET.  This  is  one  of  a  new  class  of  Moss  Roses,  bloom- 
ing in  the  autumn.  It  is  of  medium  size,  double,  and  of  a  deep 
rose  color,  and  is  valuable  as  a  mossy  Remontant.  It  will 
probably  give  rise  to  an  interesting  series  of  new  varieties. 

MOGADOR  is  a  very  double  and  superb  rose,  of  robust  habit. 
Its  form  is  beautifully  cupped,  and  its  color  a  brilliant  crimson, 
slightly  shaded  with  purple.  The  above  name  is  one  of  its 
gynonymes,  but  we  have  chosen  it  as  being  rather  more  pro- 
nounceable than  its  legitimate  name  of  Rose  du  Roi  afleurs 
pourpres,  or  even  that  given  it  by  the  English  rose  growers,  of 
Superb  Crimson  Perpetual.  We  think  it  always  better  to  guard 
against  confusion ;  and  there  is  already  one  Crimson  Perpetual. 

POMPONE  DE  STE.  RADEGONDE  is  one  of  the  new  roses,  and 
is  a  most  abundant  bloomer  throughout  the  summer  and  autumn, 
sometimes  almost  hiding  the  foliage  with  its  flowers.  These  are 
well  formed  and  of  a  deep  rose  color,  inclining  to  violet. 

PRINCE  ALBERT  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  this  class, 
scarcely  second  to  any  but  Mad.  Laffay.  Its  flowers  are  double, 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  245 

finely  formed,  and  unusually  fragrant.  Its  color  is  a  deep  crim- 
son purple,  and  it  is  one  of  the  best  forcing"  roses. 

PRINCE  OF  WALES  is  a  remarkably  vigorous  and  luxuriant 
growing  variety.  In  good  soils  it  would  make  a  fine  pillar  rose. 
Its  flowers  are  produced  in  very  large  clusters,  and  are  of  a  bright 
rose  color  tinted  with  lilac. 

PRUDENCE  RAESER  is  a  very  fragrant  rose,  blooming  in  large 
and  very  beautiful  clusters.  Its  flowers  are  cupped,  finely  formed, 
and  of  medium  size.  Its  color  is  pale  rose  with  fawn  centre. 
Every  shoot  gives  a  cluster  of  flowers  throughout  the  summer 
and  autumn,  arid  it  is  well  adapted  for  pillars. 

REINE  DE  LA  GUILLOTIERE  is  a  free  blooming  rose,  with 
glossy  foliage  and  brilliant  crimson  flowers. 

RIVERS  is  one  of  the  best  cupped  roses,  blooming  abundantly 
all  the  autumn,  and  producing  its  large,  crimson  flowers  in  beau- 
tiful clusters. 

ROBIN  HOOD  is  a  very  symmetrical  and  perfect  rose,  very  fra- 
grant, and  of  a  deep,  rosy  pink.  Its  finely  cupped  flowers  are 
produced  in  large  clusters. 

STANWELL  is  a  Scotch  Remontant,  and  has  the  peculiar  foliage 
and  habit  of  the  Scotch  roses.  Its  flowers  are  large,  blush- 
colored,  and  rather  flat.  It  is  an  abundant  and  constant  bloomer 
throughout  the  season,  and  its  peculiar,  delightful  fragrance  ren- 
ders it  very  desirable. 

WILLIAM  JESSE  is  one  of  the  very  largest  roses  in  this  class, 
scarcely  second  in  size  to  La  Reine.  Its  flowers  open  freely,  but 
require  good  culture  to  be  produced  abundantly  in  the  autumn. 
Its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  color  crimson,  with  a  tinge  of  lilac. 

The  directions  for  the  culture  of  Remontant  roses  are  very 
much  the  same  as  for  roses  in  general,  and  will  be  found  in  a 
preceding  chapter.  In  order  to  ensure  a  perfect  autumnal  bloom, 
it  is  well  to  shorten  a  large  number  of  the  flower-bearing  shoots, 
as  soon  as  the  flower  buds  appear  early  in  summer ;  for  there  is 
then  a  great  abundance  of  summer  roses,  and  these  are  not 
needed.  The  plant  will  then  furnish  a  fine  bloom  the  latter  part 
of  summer,  and  through  the  autumn.  The  faded  blooms  should 

21* 


246  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

also  be  removed  from  the  plant,  as,  if  left  to  form  seed-vessels, 
much  of  the  sap  is  diverted  from  the  support  of  the  young  shoots. 
For  forcing  (according  to  directions  given  in  a  preceding  chapter) 
the  Remontant  Roses  are  very  beautiful.  From  their  luxuriant 
growth  they  also  form  very  fine  tree  roses.  A  few  varieties,  in  the 
list  at  the  end  of  the  work,  will  sometimes  make  barren  shoots.  As 
soon  as  this  is  perceived,  they  should  be  cut  down  to  eight  or  ten 
buds,  and  will  then  generally  give  flowering  branches. 

The  Remontant  is  a  valuable  class  of  roses,  and  will  doubtless 
soon  furnish  so  great  a  variation  in  form  and  color  as  to  drive 
out  of  cultivation  the  old  summer  varieties. 


EVERBLOOMING    ROSES, 

These  roses  are  distinguished  from  the  Remontant  by  bloom- 
ing continually  throughout  the  season,  without  any  temporary 
cessation.  They  include  the  Bourbon,  the  Bengal  and  its  sub- 
varieties,  the  Tea  and  Noisette,  the  Musk,  the  Macartney,  and 
the  Microphylla  Roses.  They  number  almost  every  variety  of 
form  and  color,  and  their  character  of  constant  blooming  renders 
them  very  desirable  wherever  the  climate  will  allow  their  culti- 
vation. 

BOURBON  ROSES. 

For  this  latitude,  or  even  that  of  Albany  and  Boston,  this  is 
perhaps  the  most  desirable  class  of  roses ;  and  even  in  the  Southern 
States,  its  valuable  qualities  will  make  it  a  formidable  competitor 
for  the  Tea-scented  Rose.  These  qualities  are,  its  perfect  hardi- 
ness, its  very  thick,  leathery  foliage,  its  luxuriant  growth,  its  con- 
stant bloom,  and  its  thick,  velvety  petals  of  a  consistency  to  endure 
even  the  burning  heat  of  a  tropical  sun.  It  was  introduced  into 
France  by  Jacques,  head  gardener  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  at 
Neuilly,  who  received  it  in  1819  from  Breon,  director  of  the  royal 
gardens,  in  the  Isle  of  Bourbon.  The  following  account  of  its 
origin  is  given  by  Breon,  and  is  also  mentioned  by  Rivers  : 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  247 

"  At  the  Isle  of  Bourbon,  the  inhabitants  generally  inclose  their 
land  with  hedges  made  of  two  rows  of  roses  ;  one  row  of  the  com- 
mon China  Rose,  the  other  of  the  Red  Four  Seasons.  M.  Peri- 
chon,  a  planter  in  the  island,  found  in  one  of  these  hedges  a 
young  plant,  differing  very  much  from  the  others  in  its  shoots 
and  foliage.  This  he  transplanted  into  his  garden.  It  flowered 
the  following  year,  and  proved  to  be  of  a  new  race,  and  very  differ- 
ent from  the  above  two  roses,  which  at  that  time  were  the  only 
varieties  known  in  the  island." 

Its  resemblance  to  the  Bengal  Rose  was,  however,  so  strong, 
that  it  was  soon  considered  a  variety  of  that  species.  Its  char- 
acteristics, are,  however,  so  entirely  different  from  the  Bengal, 
particularly  in  its  entire  hardiness,  that  we  give  it  a  separate 
place  in  our  garden  classification.  To  the  French  we  owe  nearly 
all  the  varieties  of  this  class  which  have  been  produced  from  the 
original  semi-double  rose,  or  Bourbon  Jacques,  as  it  was  called. 
Of  these  varieties,  the  following  are  distinct,  and  possess  many 
charming  qualities  that  cannot  fail  to  gratify  the  amateur : 

AUGUSTINE  LELIEUR  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  beautiful 
of  this  class,  with  erect,  bell-shaped  flowers.  Its  form  is  cupped, 
and  its  color  vivid  rose. 

BOUQUET  DE  FLORE  is  a  superb  cupped  rose,  with  large,  double 
and  fragrant  flowers  of  a  deep  carmine.  In  rich  soils,  it  will 
make  a  good  pillar  rose. 

CHARLEMAGNE  is  a  new  and  very  beautiful  rose,  grown  by 
Dorisy,  a  French  cultivator.  It  is  a  large  flower,  with  pointed 
petals,  blooming  freely,  and  of  vigorous  habit.  Its  color  is 
variable  ;  sometimes  white,  and  sometimes  rose  and  carmine. 

COMICE  DE  SEINE  ET  MARNE  is  a  new  and  superb  cupped 
rose,  with  brilliant  crimson  flowers. 

COMTE  DE  RAMBUTEAU  is  a  rose  of  fine  foliage  and  habit.  Its 
flower  is  cupped,  and  of  a  deep  crimson  hue,  tinged  with  lilac. 
It  is  well  adapted  for  forcing. 

DR.  CHAILLOT  is  new  and  very  distinct.  Its  flower  is  of  me- 
dium size,  delicate  rose  color,  and  very  beautiful. 


248  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

EDOUARD  DESFOSSES  is  a  very  beautiful  cupped  rose,  of  very 
symmetrical  shape.  Its  color  is  a  bright  rose. 

EMILE  COURTIER  is  one  of  the  finest  roses  of  this  group.  Its 
form  is  cupped,  double  and  perfect,  and  its  color  is  deep  rose. 

ENFANT  D'AJACCIO  is  a  very  robust  growing  rose,  making 
shoots  twelve  or  fifteen  feet-  long.  As  a  pillar  rose,  or  even  a 
climber,  it  is  perhaps  the  best  of  this  group.  Its  flower  is  double, 
cupped,  very  fragrant,  and  of  a  brilliant  scarlet  crimson. 

GEORGE  CUVIER  is  a  very  distinct  rose,  with  cupped  and  ele- 
gant flowers.  Its  color  is  a  beautiful  light  cherry. 

GLOIRE  DE  ROSAMENE  is  a  rose  of  very  luxuriant  growth  and 
large  foliage.  It  will  make  longer  shoots  in  the  same  period  than 
any  other  rose  in  this  group,  and  will  form  a  good  pillar  rose  or 
climber.  It  is  an  abundant  bloomer,  and  its  flowers  are  cupped, 
large,  semi-double,  and  of  a  brilliant  deep  scarlet. 

GRAND  CAPITAINE  is  a  fine  cupped  rose,  with  serrated  foliage. 
Its  color  is  a  brilliant  velvety  scarlet. 

HERMOSA  is  an  old  variety,  but  still  one  of  the  very  best  of 
this  group.  Its  form  is  cupped,  very  double  and  perfect,  and  no 
rose  blooms  more  abundantly,  either  forced  or  in  the  open  ground. 
Its  color  is  delicate  rose.  The  plant  is  of  medium  growth,  and 
well  adapted,  for  grouping  or  for  planting  in  beds  with  Mrs.  Bo- 
sanquet  and  Agrippina. 

IMPERATRICE  JOSEPHINE  is  a  very  beautiful  variety,  bloom- 
ing in  immense  clusters  of  a  delicate  pink.  Its  form  is  cupped, 
and  the  very  robust  habit  of  the  plant  makes  it  a  good  pillar  rose. 

JULIE  DE  LOYNES  is  a  fragrant  white  rose,  blooming  in  clus- 
ters. This  is  an  instance  of  the  disadvantage  of  the  old  classi- 
fication, having  been  placed  alternately  among  the  Noisettes  and 
Bourbons.  Its  foliage  and  habit,  however,  make  it  clearly  a 
Bourbon. 

LAVINIE  D'OST  is  a  large  and  very  double  variety,  of  a  pale 
rose-color.  Its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  very  vigorous  habit  adapts 
it  well  for  pillars. 

LEVESON  GOWER  is  a  new  rose,  of  so  great  merit  as  to  com- 
mand twenty-five  francs  in  Paris.  It  is  very  large  and  double, 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  249 


and  of  a  deep  rose  color.  It  is  said  to  be  fully  equal  in  form  to 
Souvenir  de  Malmaison,  and  if  so,  will  prove  a  superb  variety. 
Although  a  very  beautiful  rose,  it  has  not  bloomed  sufficiently 
long  in  our  grounds  to  test  its  claims  to  the  above  high  character. 

MADAME  ANGELINA  is  a  very  distinct  and  beautiful  variety, 
resembling  Queen  of  Bourbons  in  habit.  Its  flowers  are  cupped, 
double,  finely  formed,  and  of  a  lovely  pale-creamy  fawn  color. 

MADAME  AUBIS  is  a  vigorous  growing  rose,  and  suitable  for 
pillars.  Its  flowers  are  cupped,  finely  formed,  large,  and  of  a 
bright  rose  color.  Many  of  these  roses  are  suitable  for  pillars,  if 
well  cultivated  and  watered  with  liquid  manure,  either  from  the 
barn-yard  or  made  with  two  pounds  of  guano  to  twelve  gallons 
of  water. 

MADAME  DESPREZ  is  a  very  robust  rose,  blooming  in  larger 
clusters  than  any  other  of  this  class.  Its  form  is  cupped  and 
very  double,  its  color  is  a  rosy  lilac,  and  its  luxuriant  growth 
makes  it  one  of  the  best  pillar  roses. 

MADAME  LACHARME  is  a  new  variety,  of  the  same  habit  as 
the  preceding.  Its  flowers  are  of  a  rich  blush,  inclining  to  white. 
It  blooms  in  clusters  of  beautifully-formed  and  double  flowers. 

MADAME  NERARD  is  a  fragrant  and  very  perfectly-shaped 
rose,  of  a  delicate  blush  color. 

MENOUX  is  a  new  and  very  brilliant  scarlet  rose.  Its  form  is 
cupped  and  fine,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  dwarf-grow- 
ing roses. 

PAUL  JOSEPH  is  the  most  beautiful  of  the  dark,  purplish-crim- 
son roses.  Its  growth  is  robust  and  luxuriant,  and  its  large, 
thick,  deep  glossy-green  foliage  contrasts  well  with  its  brilliant 
crimson,  flowers. 

PREMICES  DES  CHARPENNES  is  a  new,  delicate  rose-colored 
variety,  of  moderate  growth.  Its  flower  is  cupped,  and  its  petals 
are  regular  and  unusually  pointed. 

QUEEN  is  a  very  beautiful  and  delicate  rose-colored  variety, 
slightly  tinged  with  buff.  It  is  cupped,  very  fragrant,  large,  and 
double,  and  its  petals  are  arranged  with  a  beautiful,  wax-like 
regularity. 


250  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


REINE  DES  VIERGES  is  a  new  rose,  much  resembling  Souvenir 
de  Malmaison.  Its  flowers  are  more  pale,  and  smaller  than  that 
variety,  but  perfect  and  regular  in  their  shape. 

SOUGH ET  is  a  new  and  very  fine  variety,  with  large,  double, 
and  perfectly  cupped  flowers.  Its  color  is  dark-crimson,  shaded 
with  purple. 

SOUVENIR  DE  MALMAISON  is  altogether  the  most  perfect  and 
superb  rose  of  this  or  any  other  class.  It  was  originated  by  Be- 
luze,  a  Frenchman.  Its  flowers  are  cupped  and  of  very  perfect 
form,  very  double,  with  thick,  velvety  petals  ;  they  are  of  the 
largest  size,  often  four  to  five  inches  in  diameter,  and  their  color 
delicate  blush,  with  a  rich  tint  of  cream.  Its  large  and  very 
luxuriant  foliage,  compact  habit,  and  flowers  of  exceeding  beauty, 
render  this  the  very  finest  rose  known.  We  should  have  figured 
it,  had  we  been  familiar  with  its  beauty  at  the  time  our  engrav- 
ings were  executed. 

SPLENDENS  is  a  fragrant  rose,  of  robust  and  very  luxuriant 
habit.  It  opens  well,  and  is  an  abundant  bloomer.  Its  color  is 
rich  purplish-crimson,  and  its  leaves  are  remarkably  large  and 
beautiful.  It  will  make  a  good  pillar  rose. 

TRIOMPHE  DE  LA  GUILLOTIERE  is  one  of  the  most  vigorous 
pillar  roses  of  this  family.  It  blooms  in  large  clusters  of  deep 
rosy-red  flowers. 

Many  of  these  varieties  of  Bourbon  roses  are  well  adapted  for 
pot-culture  and  forcing.  For  window  culture  some  of  them  are 
unsurpassed,  when  budded  on  strong  stocks.  Nearly  all  of  them 
are  so  difficult  of  propagation  by  cuttings,  that  they  will  be 
found  budded,  in  most  of  the  nurseries.  When  planted  in  groups 
in  a  rich  soil,  and  with  a  skilful  blending  of  colors,  they  will  pre- 
sent a  beautiful  show  of  leaf  and  flower  throughout  the  season  ; 
they  make,  also,  fine  standards  for  a  lawn,  and  many  of  them  are 
almost  sufficiently  luxuriant  to  make  a  good  hedge.  They  do 
not  require  so  much  pruning  as  Perpetuals,  but  should  be  thinned 
out  in  the  winter,  and  shortened  to  half  a  dozen  buds.  We  hope 
to  see  this  class  of  roses  more  generally  cultivated,  for  it  is  cer- 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  251 

tainly  not  surpassed  by  any  other,  and  in  many  important  quali- 
ties it  is  unequaled. 

CHINA   ROSES. 

It  is  now  nearly  half  a  century  since  this  abundant  blooming 
rose  was  introduced  into  Europe  from  India,  and  was  called  the 
Bengal  Rose.  It  was,  however,  not  indigenous  to  India,  but  was 
brought  to  that  country  from  China.  It  is,  therefore,  more  ap- 
propriately called  the  China  Rose.  The  numerous  varieties  have 
been  produced  from  two  distinct  species — Rosa  Indica  and  Rosa 
Semperflorens  ;  but  the  garden  varieties  from  these  distinct  spe- 
cies have  so  run  into  each  other,  that  it  is  impossible  to  classify 
them  by  their  parentage.  Next  to  the  Bourbon,  this  is  perhaps 
the  most  valuable  class  of  roses ;  but,  in  this  climate,  need  pro- 
tection from  the  cold.  This,  however,  can  be  easily  afforded  by 
means  of  salt  hay  or  straw.  They  bloom  most  freely  and  abun- 
dantly— flower  succeeding  bud  and  bud  succeeding  bloom  through- 
out the  whole  season.  Such  is  their  ever-blooming  nature,  that, 
if  brought  into  a  mild  temperature  on  the  approach  of  cold 
weather  and  properly  pruned,  they  will  bloom  the  whole  year 
without  cessation.  This  quality  renders  them  peculiarly  adapted 
for  early  and  late  forcing  and  for  window  culture ;  for,  by  means 
of  them  a  regular  succession  of  abundant  bloom  can  be  enjoyed 
during  what  are  deemed  the  dreariest  months  of  the  year.  This 
class  is  also  valuable  for  the  great  range  of  color  taken  by  its 
varieties.  When  planted  in  a  good  soil,  it  grows  very  thriftily 
and  makes  strong  shoots.  A  French  writer  speaks  of  a  plant  of 
this  species  in  the  vicinity  of  Paris,  which  was  twice  the  height 
of  a  man,  and  formed  a  bush  so  thick  that  four  persons  could 
scarcely  embrace  it.  At  the  time  of  its  first  bloom,  this  bush  was 
said  to  have  borne  some  two  to  three  thousand  flowers,  and  during 
the  remainder  of  the  season  bore  many  hundreds  at  a  time.  In 
some  parts  of  Europe  it  is  used  for  making  hedges,  which  are 
regularly  pruned  with  shears,  and  arbors  are  also  formed,  from 
nine  to  ten  feet  high,  which  are  generally  in  bloom  during  nine 
months  of  the  year. 


252  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


Audot,  in  his  "Notes  sur  les  Jardins  d'ltalie,"  speaks  of  hav- 
ing seen,  in  the  garden  of  an  Englishman  named  Mills,  on  the 
site  of  the  ancient  imperial  palaces  at  Rome,  a  number  of  rose 
arcades,  called,  by  the  Italians,  Pergoles  (see  fig.  17).  The 
columns  or  posts  which  formed  them  were  about  nine  feet  high, 
and  the  same  distance  apart.  This  pergole  was  constructed  of 
very  light  material,  and  entirely  covered  with  a  free-growing 
variety  of  the  China  Rose,  which  is  never  injured  by  the  cold  in 
the  mild  climate  of  Italy.  "  It  is  impossible,"  says  Audot,  "  to 
conceive  a  more  splendid  bloom  than  that  of  these  roses,  trained 
upon  pergoles  so  graceful.  The  foliage  disappeared  under  the 
gorgeous  drapery  of  glittering  roses." 

This  rose  is  particularly  adapted  for  bedding  out  upon  a  lawn. 
Now  that  an  improved  taste  is  discarding  the  old  and  regular 
flower-garden,  and  in  its  place  beds  and  patches  of  flowers  are 
scattered  about  the  lawn,  there  are  few  objects  more  beautiful 
than  circular  or  oval  beds  of  China  roses,  scattered  in  graceful 
irregularity,  and  intermingled  with  groups  of  trees  and  shrubs. 
They  should  be  kept  free  from  weeds,  and  when  the  soil  is  rich 
and  the  thrifty  young  shoots  are  kept  pegged  down,  these  slashes 
will  present  a  beautiful  mass  of  foliage  and  bloom  in  every  va- 
riety of  color.  It  frequently  happens  that  the  grounds  about  a 
house  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  require  several  terraces.  A  very 
beautiful  display  can  be  formed  by  planting  the  perpendicular  or 
sloping  sides  of  these  terraces  with  dwarf-growing  China  Roses, 
which,  when  kept  pegged  down,  and  in  dry  weather  occasionally 
watered,  will  present  a  rich  and  glowing  mass  of  bloom. 

It  is  since  the  advent  of  the  China  Rose  and  its  congeners,  the 
Bourbons  and  Remontants,  that  the  rose  can  be  said  to  have 
taken  its  true  place  as  the  most  valuable  flower  of  the  garden. 
While  the  rose  was  only  known  as  blooming  once  in  the  season, 
there  was  some  excuse  for  the  preference  given  to  hyacinths, 
tulips,  carnations,  &c. ;  but  at  this  time,  while  the  latter  require 
so  very  careful  culture,  and  then  bloom  but  for  a  short  time,  they 
cannot  compare  in  valuo  with  the  many  varieties  of  Remontant, 
Bourbon,  and  China  Roses,  which  furnish  a  constant  succession 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  253 

of  bloom  throughout  the  season.  The  Tea  and  Noisette  Roses 
have  been  generally  classed  distinct  from  the  China ;  they  arer 
however,  but  varieties  of  the  latter,  and  there  is  so  much  confu- 
sion in  the  old  classification,  that  the  amateur  is  frequently  mis- 
led. Many  of  the  roses  now  classed  among  the  China  have  a 
strong  tea  scent,  and  many  of  the  present  Tea  Roses  have  very 
little  fragrance.  The  characteristic  of  the  Noisette  Rose  is  un- 
derstood to  be  its  cluster-blooming  habit.  In  the  Noisette  Roses, 
however,  as  formerly  classed,  there  are  some  varieties  that  do  not 
bloom  in  clusters,  and  among  the  China,  Tea,  and  Bourbon, 
many  that  frequently  bloom  in  clusters.  With  this  confusion 
existing,  we  have  thought  it  best  to  place  them  altogether  under 
their  true  head  of  China  Roses.  For  the  benefit  of  those  who 
may  have  been  accustomed  to  the  old  classification,  we  have 
giver? each  its  old  designation  of  Tea  or  Noisette,  as  classed  by 
Rivers,  Vibert,  and  others. 

The  original  variety  of  the  Tea  Rose  was  imported  from  China 
into  France  in  1810,  and  the  yellow  variety  in  1824.  Many  of 
the  tea-scented  varieties  have  thick,  rich  petals,  fine  foliage,  arid 
beautiful  colors  ;  they  are,  however,  more  tender  than  others.  In 
the  warm  climate  of  Italy  and  our  Southern  States  they  grow 
and  bloom  most  beautifully,  and  are  general  favorites.  Above 
all  other  roses,  they  require  a  rich  soil,  with  a  dry  bottom  and 
a  sheltered  situation ;  they  will  sometimes  endure  our  winters 
with  the  thermometer  at  zero,  but  it  is  better  to  protect  them  by 
means  of  straw  and  hay,  or  of  boards  upon  low  stakes.  Perhaps 
the  least  troublesome  way  of  protecting  them  is,  to  have  one  or 
more  hot-bed  frames,  six  feet  by  twelve  and  about  a  foot  and 
a  half  or  two  feet  deep.  This  can  be  set  several  inches  in  the 
ground,  and  litter  of  any  kind  placed  around  the  sides.  The 
roses  can  be  carefully  taken  up,  and  planted  in  this  frame  as 
thick  as  they  will  stand.  The  top  can  then  be  covered  with 
boards  a  little  slanting,  to  carry  off  the  rain,  and  the  plants  will 
be  sufficiently  protected.  If  the  weather  is  very  severe,  some 
litter  can  also  be  placed  upon  the  top.  The  whole  can  be  made  of 
rough  boards  very  cheaply,  and  will  protect  a  great  many  plants. 

22 


254  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


The  original  Noisette  Rose  is  stated,  both  by  English  and 
French  writers,  to  have  been  introduced  into  France  by  Louis 
Noisette,  the  author  of  a  work  on  fruits,  who  received  it,  early  in 
the  present  century,  from  his  brother  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  An 
English  writer,  however,  contradicts  this,  and  states  that  it  was 
raised  in  Long  Island,  whence  a  plant  was  taken  to  Rouen  by 
one  Landorme,  some  time  before  Noisette  received  his  plant  from 
America:  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  variety  was  much  admired  in 
Paris,  and  very  soon  all  roses  blooming  in  clusters  began  to  be 
called  Noisettes,  even  when  like  Smithii,  Chroinatella,  and  others, 
they  had  very  few  of  the  distinctive  characters  of  the  first  Noisette 
Rose,  for  the  true  Noisette  roses  are  distinct  both  in  habit  and 
bloom.  The  original  Noisette  was  at  first  thought  a  Musk  Rose, 
being  precisely  similar  to  a  variety  raised  from  the  seed  of  the 
Musk  Rose  by  M.  Robert,  overseer  of  the  Marine  Garden  at 
Toulon,  in  France.  Subsequently,  various  writers  and  botanists, 
Loudon  among  them,  have  made  it  a  variety  of  the  Bengal  Rose. 
With  this  authority,  and  with  the  fact  before  us  that  the  lines  of 
difference  between  the  old  China,  Tea,  and  Noisette  Roses  very 
much  run  into  each  other,  we  think  we  are  fully  warranted  in 
the  adoption  of  our  present  classification,  which  is  intended  less 
for  the  benefit  of  the  botanist  or  the  nurseryman  than  for  the  con- 
venience of  the  amateur. 

.  Like  other  classes,  this  of  the  China  Rose  includes  a  great 
number  of  varieties,  which,  with  their  synonymes,  may  be  found 
at  the  end  of  the  work.  The  following  are  some  of  the  best,  and 
their  quality  is  such  as  to  ensure  the  amateur  good  varieties, 
whichever  of  them  he  may  select : 

ADAM,  T.,  is  one  of  the  finest  new.  tea-scented  roses.  Its 
flowers  are  cupped,  very  double  and  large,  and  of  perfect  form. 
It  is  very  fragrant,  and  its  color  is  a  rich,  glossy  rose. 

AGRIPPINA,  though  an  old  rose,  is  still  one  of  the  best  and 
most  popular  of  its  class.  As  a  forcing  rose,  and  for  an  abundance 
of  bloom,  it  is  largely  cultivated  by  bouquet  venders.  It  is  cupped, 
beautifully  formed,  and  of  a  rich,  brilliant  crimson,  with  a  deli- 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  255 

cate  white  stripe  in  the  centre  of  each  petal.     It  is  one  of  the 
most  hardy  and  desirable  of  the  old  China  Roses. 

AIMEE  PLANTIER  is  a  fine,  large  rose,  cupped  and  very  double. 
Its  color  is  bright  fawn,  tinted  with  blush,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
hardiest  of  the  class. 

AIMEE  VIBERT,  N.,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Noisette 
or  cluster-flowering  roses.  It  blooms  freely  through  the  season, 
is  tolerably  hardy,  and  produces  an  abundance  of  small,  snow- 
white  flowers,  in  fine  clusters. 

ARCHDUKE  CHARLES  is  a  fine  cupped  and  hardy  rose  (in  this 
class  we  always  use  hardy  comparatively).  Its  color  is  rose, 
changing  to  crimson  during  expansion,  and  having  frequently  a 
beautiful  carnation-like  appearance. 

AUGUSTINE  HERSENT  is  a  very  hardy  and  luxuriant-growing 
variety,  of  distinct  character  ;  its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  color  a 
fine  bright  rose. 

BARBOT,  T.,  is  .a  very  large  cupped  rose,  tea-scented  and  of  a 
beautiful  fawn  color. 

BOCAGE,  T.,  is  a  very  beautiful  new  tea-scented  variety.  Its 
flowers  are  large  and  double,  and  of  a  delicate  white,  tinged  with 
yellow. 

BOUGERE,  T.,  is  a  very  large,  superb  rose,  one  of  the  very  best 
of  the  tea-scented  varieties.  Its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  color  a 
rich,  glossy,  bronzed  rose. 

BOULOGNE,  N.,  is  a  brilliant  cupped  rose,  blooming  in  clusters 
of  a  deep  crimson-purple. 

BOUQUET  TOUT  FAIT,  N.,  is  a  very  luxuriant-growing  pillar 
rose,  blooming  in  immense  clusters.  It  is  very  fragrant,  and  its 
color  is  creamy  white,  with  buff  toward  the  centre. 

CAPRICE  DES  DAMES  is  a  very  beautiful  little  miniature  rose, 
formerly  classed  with  others  of  the  same  character,  under  the 
name  of  Rosa  Lawrenceana.  Its  foliage  is  beautiful  and  deli- 
cate, and  its  very  small,  fairy  flowers  are  of  a  bright  rose  color. 
For  window  culture  these  little  miniature  roses  are  very  beautiful. 
CAROLINE,  T.,  is  a  fine  variety,  with  very  double  and  perfect 
flowers,  of  a  bright  rose  color. 


256 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


CHROMATELLA,  N.,  is  a  truly  magnificent  and  splendid  rose, 
raised  at  Angers  (France),  from  Lamarque  ;  and,  as  bloomed  in 
our  vinery  and  grounds,  is  fully  equal  to  our  engraving.  It  is  of 
robust  habit,  and  its  luxuriant  shoots  would  make  it  a  fine  pillar 
rose.  Its  leaves  are  large  and  glossy,  with  a  beautiful,  rich  pur- 
ple edge  when  young.  The  bud  is  of  a  rich  cream  color,  but 
when  the  large  globular  flower  is  fully  expanded,  its  color  is  a 
brilliant  and  beautiful  yellow,  with  petals  whose  thickness  will 
endure  the  hottest  sun  without  fading.  When  the  plant  is  young, 
it  is  rather  a  shy  bloomer,  but  when  of  some  age  and  in  a  good 
soil  and  location,  nothing  can  exceed  the  magnificence  of  its 
superb  flowers.  In  our  grounds  it  has  endured  our  coldest  win- 
ters, but  it  would  be  safest  to  protect  it. 

CLARA  SYLVAIN  is  one  of  the  best  white  roses  of  the  old 
China  class.  It  grows  very  freely,  and  gives  its  globular,  pure 
white  and  fragrant  flowers  in  the  greatest  abundance. 

CLARISSA  HARLOWE,  N.,  is  a  fine  cluster-flowering  variety, 
with  very  large  and  double  flowers,  of  a  pale  blush  color.  Its 
vigorous  and  luxuriant  growth  adapts  it  well  for  pillars. 

COMTE  DE  PARIS,  T.,  is  a  superb  cupped  and  tea-scented 
rose,  whose  magnificent  size  and  hardy,  robust  nature  fully  com- 
pensate for  its  deficiency  of  petals,  when  fully  expanded.  Its 
foliage  is  large,  its  growth  is  very  luxuriant,  and  its  flowers  of  a 
pale  rose  color. 

COMTE  OSMOND,  T.,  is  a  new  and  fine  rose,  with  very  double 
flowers,  of  a  beautiful  cream  color. 

DAILY  BLUSH  is  one  of  the  oldest  China  Roses,  but  one  of  the 
very  best.  There  can  be  nothing  more  perfect  than  its  half- 
expanded  bud,  of  a  light  crimson,  inclining  to  blush.  It  com- 
mences blooming  among  the  earliest,  and,  if  the  old  seed-vessels 
are  picked  off,  will  continue  to  bloom  abundantly  through  the 
summer  and  autumn,  even  after  severe  frosts.  It  is  one  of  the 
hardiest  of  the  class,  and  if  left  in  this  latitude  unprotected  dur- 
ing the  winter,  will  lose  no  more  wood  than  it  will  be  necessary 
to  cut  out  in  the  spring.  It  grows  freely,  and  making  a  stiff,  up- 
right bush,  would  be  well  adapted  for  a  hedge — the  winter  per- 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  257 


forming  the  office  of  the  shears.  We  recollect  seeing  at  Genoa, 
in  Italy,  a  beautiful  hedge  of  this  rose,  which,  even  at  that  time, 
in  mid-winter,  had  not  lost  all  its  foliage.  We  can  imagine  few 
things  more  beautiful  than  a  well- cultivated  hedge  of  this  rose, 
with  its  smooth,  glossy  foliage  well  sprinkled  with  the  beautiful 
ruby-tinted  buds. 

DAILY  WHITE  is  very  similar  to  the  preceding,  in  everything 
but  the  color  of  its  flowers,  which  are  pure  white.  Like  the 
other,  its  fully  expanded  flowers  are  inferior  to  many  other  varie- 
ties, but  its  half-blown  buds  are  very  perfect,  and  make  it  a  de- 
sirable plant  for  the  bouquet-maker. 

DEVONIENSIS,  T.,  is  a  very  beautiful  rose,  of  immense  size. 
Like  Chromatella,  it  is  sometimes  a  shy  bloomer  when  young, 
but  is  well  adapted  for  forcing.  Its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  color 
a  fine  creamy  white,  tinted  with  rose. 

DUCHESS  OF  KENT  is  a  very  beautiful  variety.  It  is  very 
double,  with  a  perfect  form,  and  of  a  delicate  blush  and  pink 
color. 

DUCHESSE  DE  MECKLENBURGH,  T.,  is  a  very  beautiful  tea- 
scented  variety,  with  very  large  cupped  flowers,  of  a  creamy 
yellow  or  straw  color. 

ECLAIR  DE  JUPITER,  N.,  is  a  very  distinct  pillar  rose,  of  most 
luxuriant  habit.  Its  flowers  are  cupped,  semi-double,  and  large. 
The  inside  of  the  petals  is  of  a  light  vivid  crimson,  and  the  out- 
side of  a  peculiar  whitish  appearance,  as  if  powdered. 

ELIZA  SAUVAGE,  T.,  is  one  of  the  finest  of  the  tea-scented 
roses.  Its  habit  is  good,  its  bloom  is  free  and  abundant,  and  its 
very  large  and  double  globular  flowers  are  of  a  fine  pale  yellow, 
with  orange  centre. 

EUGENIE  JOVIN,  T.,  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  new  roses,  scarcely 
inferior  to  any  in  this  list.  Its  flowers  are  large,  abundant,  and 
of  a  flesh-colored  white,  slightly  tinted  with  fawn. 

FABVIER  is  a  good  rose,  and  hardy.  It  is  desirable  for  its 
distinct  flowers,  whose  color  is  a  very  brilliant  and  beautiful 
scarlet. 

TS  "  KG,  N..  is  6ne  of  the  finest  crimson  cluster-blooming 

2-2* 


258  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

roses.  Its  form  is  cupped,  its  color  brilliant  crimson,  and  when 
well  grown,  is  of  very  good  habit. 

GOUBAULT,  T.j  is  one  of  the  most  hardy  of  the  tea-scented 
roses,  and  its  growth  is  luxuriant.  It  is  very  fragrant,  its  form 
is  cupped,  and  its  color  bright  rose. 

GRANDIFLORA  is  one  of  the  most  luxuriant  and  robust  of  the 
old  China  Roses,  and  a  distinct,  excellent  variety.  Its  flowers 
are  crimson,  globular,  and  of  the  largest  size. 

JAUNE  DESPREZ,  N.,  is  an  old  variety  of  first-rate  excellence, 
and  scarcely  surpassed  by  any  in  this  list.  Its  form  is  cupped, 
and  its  color  a  singular  rosy-copper,  inclining  to  fawn.  It  is 
of  large  size,  and  its  delightful  fragrance  is  sufficient  to  perfume 
a  distance  of  many  yards.  It  is  very  hardy,  and  of  robust  and 
luxuriant  growth,  making  a  fine  pillar  of  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in 
height. 

JOSEPHINE  MALTON,  T.,  is  a  beautiful  tea-scented  variety, 
with  finely-cupped  and  large  flowers,  of  a  creamy  white.  Its 
hardy  and  robust  nature,  combined  wTith  its  beauty  of  form  and 
color,  render  it  a  very  desirable  rose. 

JULIE  MANSAIS,  T.,  is  a  large  and  superb  tea-scented  rose, 
globular,  and  very  fragrant.  Its  color  is  white,  with  lemon  centre. 

LAMARQ.UE,  N.,  is  a  well-known  and  superb  variety,  whose 
very  vigorous  growth  adapts  it  well  for  a  pillar,  or  even  for  a 
climber,  as  in  rich  soils  and  favorable  locations  it  will  make 
shoots  of  fifteen  feet  .in  a  season.  When  budded  on  a  strong 
stock,  few  roses  can  surpass  its  large  cupped  and  straw-colored 
flowers,  weighing  down  the  stems  with  their  weight.  It  is  a 
fragrant  and  most  desirable  variety. 

LYONNAIS,  T.,  is  a  hardy  and  very  large  rose,  of  a  pale  flesh- 
color,  and  blooming  freely.  Its  half-opened  buds  are  really  beau- 
tiful. 

MADAME  BREON  is  one  of  the  new  China  Roses,  and  one  of 
the  very  best.  Its' flowers  are  very  large  and  double,  beautifully 
cupped,  and  of  a  brilliant  rose  color.  Few  of  the  old  China  Roses 
can  surpass  it. 

MARSHAL   BUGEAUD,  T.,  is  a  new  and  superb   tea-scented 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


259 


rose.  Its  habit  is  very  luxuriant  and  robust,  and  its  shoots  are 
armed  with  large  and  stout  thorns.  Its  cupped  and  beautifully- 
formed  flowers  are  large,  very  double,  and  of  a  bright  rose  color. 

MOIRE,  T.,  is  one  of  the  best  tea-scented  roses  for  a  hot  cli- 
mate, having  very  thick  petals.  Its  form  is  cupped  and  large, 
and  its  color  a  beautiful  fawn,  tinted  sometimes  with  cream  and 
rose. 

MRS.  BOSANQUET  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  of  the  old  China 
Roses,  and  there  are  few  in  any  other  class  that  can  surpass  it. 
Its  growth  is  luxuriant,  and  its  superb  cupped,  wax-like  flowers, 
are  of  a  delicate  flesh-color,  and  are  produced  in  the  greatest 
abundance. 

NARCISSE,  N.,  is  a  new  and  very  beautiful  yellow  rose,  bloom- 
ing freely  in  clusters.  Its  form  is  rather  expanded,  when  fully 
open,  but  its  buds  are  beautiful.  Its  good  habit,  its  abundant 
blooming  quality,  and  its  fine  color,  render  it  one  of  the  very  best 
of  the  yellow  roses. 

NE  PLUS  ULTRA,  N.,  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  cream-colored 
roses.  Its  form  is  cupped,  it  is  very  fragrant,  and  is  well  adapted 
for  forcing. 

O  PHI  RE,  N.,  is  a  medium-sized  rose,  of  a  very  singular  color, 
entirely  different  from  any  other  rose  known,  being  a  bright 
salmon,  almost  saffron.  It  blooms  in  clusters,  and  its  luxuriant 
habit  would  make  it  a  good  pillar  rose. 

PACTOLE,  N.,  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  the  cluster-flowering 
roses.  Its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  color  pale  sulphur,  with  a 
deep  yellow  centre.  It  blooms  very  abundantly,  and  is  robust 
and  hardy. 

PHALOE,  N.,  is  one  of  the  new  cluster-flowering  roses,  and  is 
very  beautiful.  It  is  an  abundant  bloomer,  and  its  large  flowers 
are  of  a  whitish-fawn  color,  beautifully  clouded  with  rose. 

POURPRE  DE  TYR,  N.,  is  a  new  variety,  large  and  very  double, 
with  brilliant  crimson  flowers.  Its  robust  habit  and  its  large, 
dark-green  foliage,  make  it  a  good  pillar  rose. 

PRINCE  CHARLES  is  a  beautiful  cupped  rose,  with  large  and 
globular  flowers  of  a  brilliant  carmine. 


260  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

PRINCESSE  ADELAIDE,  T.,  is  a  highly  improved  variety  of 
the  old  Yellow  Tea  Rose,  and  of  deeper  color.  Its  flowers  are 
cupped,  large,  and  very  double. 

PRINCESSE  MARIE.  T.,  is  one  of  the  finest  tea-scented  roses. 
Its  flowers  are  very  large,  often  more  than  four  inches  in  diame- 
ter, and  of  a  dark  flesh-color. 

RETOUR  DU  PRINTEMPS  is  a  very  pretty  miniature  rose,  for- 
merly classed  as  Rosa  Laiorenceana.  It  is  quite  distinct,  with 
bright  rose-colored  and  cupped  flowers,  surrounded  by  a  curious 
calyx.  The  plant  is  as  luxuriant  as  any  of  its  congeners,  and 
the  leaves  are  deeply  tinged  with  red. 

SAFRANO,  T.,  is  scarcely  excelled  by  any  rose.  Its  half- 
opened  bud  is  very  beautiful,  and  of  a  rich  deep  fawn  color. 
When  open,  its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  color  a  much  lighter 
fawn.  These  fawn-colored  roses  have  peculiar  charms  for  us; 
and  of  them  all,  there  are  none  more  beautiful  or  richer  than 
Safrano. 

SILENE,  T.,  is  a  very  beautiful  tea-scented  rose,  cupped,  very 
double,  and  fragrant.  Its  color  is  rose,  shaded  with  crimson,  and 
the  plant  is  hardy  and  of  luxuriant  growth. 

SMITHII,  N.,  although  an  old  rose,  is  one  of  the  very  finest  we 
possess.  Its  form  is  large  and  globular,  and,  when  full-blown,  is 
of  a  rich  straw  color,  with  yellow  centre.  Its  half-expanded  buds 
are  beautifully  formed,  and  of  a  rich  yellow.  It  blooms  in  clus- 
ters, opens  freely,  and  is  a  very  luxuriant  grower. 

SOLFATERRE,  N.,  is  another  superb  rose,  of  very  much  the 
same  character.  Its  flowers  are  large  and  globular,  inclining  to 
flat,  and  their  color  bright  lemon.  When  half  opened,  the  buds 
are  superb.  Like  Chromatella  (and  Lamarque,  the  parent,  of 
both),  its  growth  is  very  luxuriant.  Rivers  mentions  a  plant 
which  threw  out  a  shoot  from  a  single  bud  eighteen  feet  in 
one  season,  and  the  next  season  was  covered  with  flower- 
buds. 

SOUVENIR  D'UN  AMI,  T.,  is  a  new  tea-scented  rose,  purchased 
in  France  for  15  francs ;  and  with  none  of  the  high-priced  roses 
have  we  been  so  well  pleased  as  with  this.  It  is  indeed  the 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  261 

queen  of  the  tea-scented  roses,  arid  will  rank  the  very  first  among 
them.  Its  habit  is  good,  it  blooms  freely,  and  its  large  and  beau- 
tifully imbricated  flowers,  when  open,  much  resemble  in  form 
those  of  Souvenir  de  Malmaison.  Its  color  is  a  delicate  salmon, 
shaded  with  rose,  and  its  general  character  highly  recommends 
it  as  first-rate  in  every  respect. 

STROMBIOT,  T.,  is  an  old  tea-scented  variety,  but  still  one  of 
the  finest.  Its  habit  is  good,  and  its  large  flowers  are  beautiful 
arid  cream-colored. 

SULLY  is  a  new  and  very  beautiful  rose.  Its  flowers  are  finely 
cupped,  large,  very  double,  and  quite  fragrant.  Its  color  is  a 
pale  rose,  shaded  with  fawn. 

TRIOMPHE  DE  LUXEMBOURG,  T.,  is  an  old  and  well-known 
tea-scented  variety,  and  remarkably  fine.  On  its  first  appear- 
ance, it  was  sold  in  Paris  as  high  as*  40  francs  per  plant.  Its 
cupped  flowers  are  of  immense  size,  and,  when  half-blown,  of 
great  beauty.  Their  color  is  buff-rose,  slightly  tinged  with  yel- 
low. The  plant  is  of  luxuriant  growth. 

In  the  preceding  list,  we  have  given  some  of  the  best  varieties 
of  the  China  Rose,  and  trust  the  amateur  will  find  no  difficulty 
in  selecting.  Many  of  the  varieties  we  have  designated  as  pillar 
roses  ;  and  these,  so  trained,  would  be  beautiful  objects  on  a  lawn, 
either  singly,  or  in  groups  of  three  to  a  dozen.  Where  the  height 
of  the  pillars  can  be  gently  graduated  to  the  highest  in  the  centre, 
the  effect  will  be  very  fine.  In  the  chapter  on  Culture,  we  have 
given  more  particular  directions  for  pillar  cultivation.  Many  of 
the  luxuriant  growing  varieties  can  be  trained  upon  a  common 
pale  fence,  and  will  cover  it  with  flowers  and  foliage  the  whole 
season.  Straw  can  be  easily  thatched  over  to  protect  them  from 
the  severity  of  winter,  or  bass  mats  would  be  still  better.  There 
is  another  very  beautiful  mode  of  cultivating  the  most  delicate 
of  these  tea-scented  roses,  which  we  have  never  seen  adopted, 
but  which  we  are  confident  would  produce  a  very  fine  effect.  A 
large  three  or  four  gallon  pot  should  be  procured,  and  painted 
green  on  the  outside  ;  a  locust  post  should  then  be  obtained,  some 


262  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

three  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  five  to  twelve  feet  in  height, 
according  to  the  usual  length  of  the  shoots  of  the  variety  of  rose 
to  be  planted.  Upon  the  top  of  this  post  can  be  placed  a  circular 
or  square  piece  of  board,  the  diameter  of  the  bottom  of  the  pot. 
The  post  should  then  be  planted  firmly  in  the  ground  and  painted 
green.  Fill  the  pot  with  rich  soil,  as  directed  in  a  preceding 
chapter ;  plant  in  it  one  or  two  roses  of  pillar  varieties,  and  place 
it  on  the  top  of  the  post.  The  surface  of  the  soil  should  then  be 
covered  with  moss,  and  if  the  sides  can  also  be  covered,  the  good 
effect  will  be  enhanced.  The  plants,  if  strong,  will  soon  throw 
out  long,  graceful  shoots,  which,  drooping  to  the  ground,  will 
hide  the  pot  and  post,  and  present  the  appearance  of  an  ever- 
blooming  weeping  tree  of  great  beauty.  If  a  pyramid  is  desired, 
wires  can  be  carried  from  the  top  of  the  post  to  the  ground,  some 
two  or  three  feet  from  its  base,  and  the  shoots  trained  down  these. 
We  can  imagine  few  things  more  beautiful  than  Chromatella  and 
Solfaterre,  or  Bourbon  Madame  Lacharme  growing  and  blooming 
in  this  way.  % 

MUSK    BOSKS. 

The  Musk  Rose  grows  naturally  in  Persia  and  other  eastern 
countries,  where  it  attains  the  height  of  a  small  tree,  and  is 
doubtless  the  rose  which  has  been  celebrated  by  eastern  poets. 
It  is  also  found  in  India,  where  it  is  probably  the  species  used 
for  making  attar.  In  this  latitude  it  is  quite  hardy,  and  we  have 
a  plant  of  the  old  White  Musk  in  our  grounds,  that  has  braved 
the  severity  of  more  than  twenty  winters.  It  has  already,  this 
season,  made  shoots  of  more  than  six  feet,  and  in  our  Southern 
States  more  than  double  the  growth  would  probably  be  obtained. 
The  blossoms  appear  in  clusters,  and  commencing  later  than  any 
other  rose,  continue  abundant  throughout  the  season.  The  Old 
White  Cluster  has  been  widely  distributed  throughout  the  coun- 
try, and  is  deservedly  a  favorite.  The  two  best  varieties,  how- 
ever, are  the  following  : 

EPONINE  is  a  cupped  and  veiy  double  variety,  with  the  pe- 
culiar musk  fragrance.  It  is  pure  white,  and  a  very  pretty  rose. 

PRINCESS  OF  NASSAU  is  a  luxuriant-growing  and  very  fra- 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  263 

grant  variety,  and  would  make  a  good  pillar  rose.  It  blooms 
in  large  clusters  of  cupped  flowers,  changing  from  yellow  to  cream- 
color  as  they  open. 

MACARTNEY    ROSES. 

This  rose  was  brought  from  China  to  England,  by  Lord  Mac- 
artney, in  1793.  Its  habit  is  luxuriant,  and  its  foliage  is  more 
beautiful  than  that  of  any  other  rose,  its  leaves  being  thick  and 
of  a  rich  glossy  green.  It  commences  blooming  about  midsum- 
mer, and  its  flowers,  whose  fragrance  is  like  the  perfume  of  an 
apricot,  succeed  each  other  without  interruption  till  the  first  frosts, 
while  the  leaves  remain  till  the  very  latest.  Although  as  hardy 
as  the  hardiest  of  the  China  Roses,  it  would  be  better  in  this  lati- 
tude to  give  it  the  same  protection  as  recommended  for  the  China. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  roses  for  beds  or  borders.  When 
covering  the  whole  ground,  and  kept  well  pegged  down,  its  rich, 
glossy  foliage,  gemmed  with  fragrant  flowers,  produces  a  beau- 
tiful effect.  The  varieties  of  this  rose  are  very  few,  but  the  two 
best  are  the  following : 

ALBA  ODORATA  is  a  vigorous  growing  rose,  with  very  rich 
and  beautiful  foliage.  Its  fragrant  flowers  are  cream-colored, 
and,  when  in  bud,  are  very  beautiful.  It  has  stood  the  last  three 
winters  uninjured  in  our  grounds  without  protection,  and  is  a 
very  beautiful  and  desirable  variety.  It  is  classed  by  River?!  as  a 
Microphylla,  but  it  so  little  resembles  that  rose,  and  is  so  de- 
cidedly Macartney  in  its  character,  that  we  place  it  with  the  latter. 

MARIA  LEONIDA  is  a  very  beautiful,  but  not  entirely  double 
variety,  as  its  stamens  can  sometimes  be  seen,  which,  however, 
give  a  graceful  appearance.  Its  flowers  are  finely  cupped,  and 
pure  white,  with  a  tinge  of  blush  at  the  base  of  the  petals. 

MICROPHYL.L.A    ROSES. 

This  rose  came  originally  from  the  Himalayan  Mountains,  and 
was  brought  to  Europe  in  1823.  Its  foliage  is  small  and  singu- 
lar, and  its  growth  is  very  robust.  Its  flowers  bloom  from  mid- 
summer till  frost,  and  have  a  singular  appearance ;  they  are  very 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


double,  with  a  calyx  whose  small,  bristling  sepals  give  the  open- 
ing bud  the  appearance  of  a  small  chestnut.  The  plant  is  hardy, 
and  has  endured  the  winter  in  our  grounds  for  the  past  ten 
years  without  protection,  losing  only  a  portion  of  the  top  of  its 
shoots.  Of  the  several  varieties,  one  of  the  best  is 

RUBRA,  which  has  very  double  and  cupped  flowers,  of  a  blush 
and  often  rose-color,  with  a  deep-red  centre. 


ROSES  THAT  BLOOM  ONLY  ONCE  IN  THE  SEASON. 

GARDEX  ROSES. 

For  want  of  a  better,  we  use  this  term  to  designate  all  those 
roses  tli at  bloom  only  once  in  the  season,  and  that  strongly  re- 
semble each  other  in  habit  and  flower.  It  includes  those  classes 
called,  by  rose-growers,  French,  Provence,  Hybrid  Provence,  Hy- 
brid China,  Hybrid  Bourbon,  White  and  Damask  Roses. 

On  a  preceding  page  we  have  given  our  opinion  respecting 
classification,  but  we  wish  it  to  be  understood  fully,  that  we  do 
not  deny  the  existence  of  clearly  distinctive  characteristics  in  the 
true  French.  Provence,  Damask,  &c.,  but  simply  assert  that  the 
lines  of  difference  between  these  so  run  into  each  other,  and  are 
so  blended  together,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  know  where 
to  place  a  new  rose,  which  may  partake  of  the  qualities  of  all. 
We  have  mentioned  Rivers  as  the  most  skilful  and  correct  of  rose- 
growers  ;  and  yet,  in  classing  Lady  Fitzgerald  and  Madame  Har- 
dy among  the  Damask,  he  says  that  neither  of  them  arc  pure 
Damask  ;  and  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  which  at  first  he  thought 
a  Hybrid  China,  he  now  places  among  the  Damask  ;  other  sim- 
ilar instances  are  frequent.  Many  roses,  moreover,  are  classed  as 
hybrids  which  arc  not  truly  such.  We  are  quite  inclined  to  think 
that,  owing  to  superfoctation  and  other  unavoidable  causes,  a 
large  number  of  the  varieties  supposed  to  have  been  produced  by 
hybridizing,  are  nothing  more  than  the  natural  produce,  and  that 
the  pollen,  in  many  cases,  has  not  impregnated  the  pistil  to  which 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  265 

it  was  applied.  With  this  uncertainty,  therefore,  as  evinced  by 
Rivers  in  his  work,  and  with  doubts  of  the  hybridity  of  supposed 
hybrids,  we  deem  it  better  to  class  them  all  together;  and, 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  may  prefer  the  old  classification, 
to  attach  to  each  name  the  class  by  which  it  has  been  hitherto 
known. 

We  write  principally  for  the  amateur,  and  we  think  he  will  find 
it  less  embarrassing  to  make  a  selection  from  the  new  than  the 
old  classification. 

A  great  number  of  Garden  Roses  will  .be  found  in  the  list  at 
the  end  of  the  work,  and  we  describe  here  only  a  few  distinct 
varieties,  with  colors  which  are  seldom  found  among  the  Re- 
montants. 

BACHELIERD,  is  a  Belgian  rose,  of  cupped  and  compact  shape. 
It  is  rose-colored,  large,  and  very  double. 

BLANCHEFLEUR,  H.  P.,  is  a  beautiful  cupped  white  rose,  of 
perfect  symmetry. 

BOULA  DE  NANTEUIL,  F.,  is  one  of  the  best.  Its  large  and 
finely  cupped  flowers  are  very  double,  and  their  color  crimson- 
purple. 

BRENNUS,  H.  C.,  is  a  superb  pillar  rose,  growing  ten  feet  in  a 
season.  If  not  too  much  pruned,  it  will  produce  an  abundance 
of  crimson  flowers,  of  great  brilliancy. 

CERISE  SUPERBE,  P.,  is  one  of  the  best  summer  roses,  of  a 
brilliant  cherry  red.  It  is  cupped,  double,  and  very  beautiful. 

CHENEDOLE,  H.  C.,  is  one  of  the  most  splendid  roses,  and  is 
truly  beautiful.  Its  foliage  and  habit  are  very  good,  and  its  very 
luxuriant  growth  makes  it  a  good  pillar  rose.  Its  flower  is  cup- 
ped, large,  double,  and  fragrant,  and  its  color  is  a  rich,  glowing 
crimson,  of  almost  dazzling  brilliancy.  It  is  altogether  the  most 
desirable  rose  of  this  class. 

COUPE  D'HEBE,  H.  B.,  is  a  very  beautiful  and  symmetrical  rose, 
with  very  regular  petals,  of  a  beautiful  pink.  Its  growth  is  lux- 
uriant, and  adapted  for  pillars. 

Due  DE  LUXEMBOURG,  A.,  is  a  beautiful  rose,  with  very  large 
and  globular  flowers.  A  singular  and  beautiful  effect  is  produced 

23 


266  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

by  its  petals,  which  are  almost  white  outside  and  a  purplish  rose 
inside. 

DUKE  OF  DEVONSHIRE,  H.  C.,  is  a  cupped  variety,  of  very  per- 
fect shape.  Its  color  is  lilac  rose,  finely  striped  with  white.  Its 
habit  is  sufficiently  luxuriant  for  a  pillar,  and  it  is  a  desirable 
rose. 

'  DUKE  OF  SUSSEX,  H.  C.,  is  a  very  fine  globular  rose,  of  a  bright 
cherry  red  color.    Its  growth  is  luxuriant,  and  it  blooms  freely. 

EMERANCE,  H.  P.,  is  a  beautiful  cupped  rose,  of  a  color  unusual 
in  this  class,  being  of  a  pale  lemon  or  straw  color.  Its  form  is 
very  regular,  and  the  habit  of  the  plant  good. 

FULGENS,  H.  C.,  is  a  very  beautiful  variety,  with  globular  flow- 
ers of  a  brilliant  scarlet.  Its  foliage  is  peculiarly  tinted  with  red, 
and  its  luxuriant  spreading  branches  make  a  very  fine  head. 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  tout  ensemble  of  a  fine  plant  of  this  va- 
riety in  full  bloom.  The  very  abundant  and  vivid  scarlet  flowers 
form,  with  the  tinted  foliage,  a  rich  and  glowing  mass. 

GEORGE  THE  FOURTH,  H.  C.,  is  an  old  rose,  produced  by  T. 
Rivers,  but  is  still  one  of  the  most  desirable  of  this  class.  Its 
flowers  are  of  a  dark  crimson,  and  its  young  shoots  have  a  pur- 
ple tinge.  Its  very  luxuriant  habit  makes  it  suitable  for  a  pillar. 

GREAT  WESTERN,  H.  B.,  is  a  most  robust  variety,  with  im- 
mense leaves,  and  blooming  in  large  clusters  of  rich,  purplish  red 
flowers,  which  are  very  brilliant  in  clear,  dry  weather. 

LADY  STUART,  H.  C.,  is  a  cupped,  fragrant,  and  very  beautiful 
rose,  of  a  pale  blush  color.  Its  half-expanded  buds  are  almost 
round,  and  very  perfect. 

LA  NEGRESSE,  D.,  is  one  of  the  darkest  roses  known.  Its 
flowers  are  cupped,  and  of  a  deep  crimson-purple  color. 

MADAME  PLANTIER,  H.  C.,  is  a  cupped  and  double,  pure  white 
rose.  It  is  a  luxuriant  grower,  a  most  abundant  bloomer,  and 
one  of  the  very  best  of  the  white  summer  roses. 

MADAME  ZOUTMAN,  D.,  is  a  new  and  very  beautiful  rose.  Its 
form  is  cupped,  and  its  color  a  delicate  cream,  tinted  with  fawn. 

NERO,  H.  P.,  is  a  rose  of  luxuriant  growth,  suitable  for  pillars. 
Its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  color  dark-red,  tinged  with  purple. 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


267 


NEW  DOUBLE  GLOBE,  H.  P.,  is  a  new  white  rose,  of  luxuriant 
habit.  Its  form  is  cupped,  and  it  sometimes  has  a  slight,  delicate 
tinge  of  lemon. 

NOVA  C^ELESTIS,  A.,  is  a  beautiful  cupped  rose,  pure  white, 
and  blooms  very  abundantly. 

OEiLLET  PARFAIT,  F.,  is  a  new  and  most  beautiful  striped 
rose,  scarcely  distinguishable  from  a  carnation.  Its  form  is  com- 
pact, and  its  color  a  very  light  blush,  nearly  white,  beautifully  and 
distinctly  striped  with  rose  and  bright  crimson. 

PERLE  DES  PANACHEES,  P.,  is  a  new  cupped  rose,  of  a  pure 
white,  striped  with  bright-red  and  purple. 

POPE,  D.,  is  a  new  cupped  rose,  produced  by  LafTay.  It  is 
large,  very  double,  of  a  fine  crimson-purple,  and  sometimes  in- 
clined to  bloom  in  autumn. 

PRINCESS  CLEMENTINE,  H.  P.,  is  a  pure  white  rose,  of  luxuri- 
ant habit,  and  well  adapted  for  a  pillar.  Its  flowers  are  abundant, 
finely  formed,  very  double,  and  when  in  full  bloom,  make  a  beau- 
tiful show. 

PRINCESSE  DE  LAMBALLE,  A.,  is  a  pure  white  and  abundant 
blooming  rose.  Its  form  is  compact  and  perfect,  and  it  is  one  of 
the  most  desirable  of  the  white  roses. 

PULCHERIE,  D.,  is  a  distinct  and  elegant  rose,  pure  white,  and 
perfect  in  form. 

SCHISMAKER,  P.,  is  one  of  the  darkest  roses  known,  its  color 
being  a  deep  slaty  purple.  Its  flowers  are  cupped  and  large,  and 
its  habit  good. 

SEMIRAMIS,  D.,  is  a  very  distinct  and  beautiful  rose.  Its  form 
is  cupped  and  its  color  rose  with  a  fawn-colored  centre. 

SOPHIE  DE  MARSILLY,  A.,  is  a  very  double  and  perfect  mottled 
rose  of  much  beauty.  Its  color  is  flesh,  showing  a  pink  centre 
as  the  flower  expands. 

TIPPOO  SAIB,  H.  B.,  is  a  new  and  veiy  beautiful  rose  with 
finely  cupped  flowers  whose  color  is  a  deep  mottled  pink  tinted 
with  salmon. 

TRICOLOR.  D'ORLEAXS,  P.,  is  a  new  striped  rose,  of  rather  ex- 
panded form.  Its  ground  color  is  red,  with  while  stripes. 


268  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

TRIOMPHE  D'ANGERS,  H.  C.,  is  a  fine  variety,  with  luxuriant 
habit.  Its  flowers  are  large,  and  of  a  brilliant  crimson,  sometimes 
striped  with  white.  They  have  also  a  pleasant  fruit-like  per- 
fume. 

TRIOMPHE  DE  JAUSSENS,  F.,  is  a  superb  variety  with  vigorous 
habit.  Its  flowers  are  large,  very  double,  with  cupped  and  perfect 
form.  Their  color  is  brilliant  crimson,  and  when  half  expanded, 
they  are  really  beautiful. 

UNIQ.UE  DE  PROVENCE,  P.,  is  an  old  variety,  but  still  one  of 
the  best.  Its  habit  is  good,  and  its  double,  pure  white  flowers 
are  produced  in  abundance. 

VENUS,  A.,  is  a  beautiful  rose,  of  medium  size,  perfectly  cup- 
ped, and  of  very  symmetrical  shape.  It  is  white,  delicately  shaded 
to  a  pink  centre.  Its  habit  is  good,  and  it  wilj.  compare  well  with 
the  best. 

MOSS  ROSES. 

The  Moss  Rose  was  introduced  into  England  from  Holland 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  is  first  mentioned  by  Miller,  in 
1727,  by  whom  it  was  supposed  to  be  a  sport  of  the  Provence 
Rose,  which  opinion  has  been  confirmed  by  modern  botanists. 
Its  peculiarities  are  the  delicate  prickles  which  crowd  its  stem, 
and  the  beautiful  mossy  covering  of  its  calyx.  This  mossy  ap- 
pearance has  been  deemed  by  some  a  mere  lusus  naturce,  and  by 
others  the  work  of  an  insect  similar  to  that  which  produces  the 
Bedeguar.  The  former  opinion,  however,  prevails ;  and  this 
freak  of  nature,  cultivators  have  succeeded  in  fixing  and  perpetu- 
ating in  a  great  number  of  varieties.  The  first  Moss  Rose  known 
in  France  was  said  to  have  been  introduced  there  by  Mad.  de  Gen- 
lis,  who  brought  it  with  her  on  her  return  from  England.  In 
1810  scarcely  more  than  one  variety  was  known,  and  now  there 
exist  more  than  a  hundred.  Of  these  the  best  and  most  distinct 
are  the  following  : 

ALICE  LEROYIS  a  very  good  variety,  of  a  deep  rose  color  ting- 
ed with  lilac.  Its  large  flowers  are  cupped  and  double,  and  its 
habit  robust. 


HARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


COMMON  is  the  old  rose-colored  Moss,  which  has  been  general- 
ly cultivated  in  gardens.  It  grows  well,  blooms  freely,  is  well 
covered  with  moss,  and  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  old  varieties. 

CRIMSON  is  a  very  fine  variety,  which  appeared  accidentally 
in  the  garden  of  a  clergyman  in  England.  Its  habit  is  more  lux- 
uriant than  the  preceding,  and  there  is  more  moss  upon  its  branch, 
leaf  and  calyx.  Its  form  is  cupped,  and  its  color  light  crimson. 
When  on  its  own  root,  it  is  a  good  variety  for  pegging  down  in 
beds  or  borders. 

CATHARINE  DE  WURTEMBURG  is  a  new,  large,  globular  rose, 
blush-colored,  and  blooming  in  clusters.  Its  robust  habit  makes 
it  a  desirable  variety. 

CELINA  is  a  dark  crimson  rose,  of  first-rate  character  and  habit. 
Its  foliage  is  a  dark,  glossy  green,  and  its  large  brilliant  crimson 
flowers  are  sometimes  tinged  with  purple. 

CRIST  AT  A  is  a  very  singular  and  beautiful  variety,  said  to 
have  been  discovered  in  the  crevice  of  a  wrall  at  Priburg,  in  Switz- 
erland. Rivers  classes  it  with  the  Provence  Roses,  and  when  open 
it  is  merely  a  variety  of  that  rose ;  but  when  in  bud  it  is  more 
properly  a  moss,  although  its  calyx  is  not  covered  with  a  fine 
moss,  but  has  more  of  a  crested  appearance.  In  a  rich  soil  this 
fringe-like  crest  most  beautifully  clasps  and  surmounts  the  bud, 
and  gives  the  rich  Clusters  a  truly  elegant  appearance.  Its  form 
is  globular  and  its  color  rose. 

ECLATANTE  is  an  excellent  variety  of  very  vigorous  growth, 
and  brilliant  rose-colored  flowers. 

LANCEL  is  a  compact,  deep-reddish  rose,  of  rather  irregular 
form  when  fully  expanded.  Its  buds,  however,  are  very  beauti- 
ful, and  covered  abundantly  with  bright  green  moss. 

LUXEMBOURG  is  a  most  excellent  variety,  of  very  luxuriant 
growth.  Its  flower  is  cupped,  and  of  a  dark  crimson  color,  tinged 
with  purple.  It  is,  altogether,  one  of  the  very  best  of  this  class. 

PERPETUAL  WHITE  is  not  a  true  Perpetual,  but,  in  moist  sea- 
sons and  riph  soil,  will  sometimes  flower  in  the  autumn.  Its  ex- 
panded flower,  like  many  of  the  best  Moss  Roses,  is  not  good,  but 
its  very  pretty  bud  is  produced  in  large  clusters. 

23* 


270  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

PROLIFIC  is  a  dwarf  variety  of  the  common  Moss,  and  most 
excellent  for  forcing.  It  is  globular,  rose-colored,  and  a  most 
abundant  bloomer. 

PRINCESSE  ADELAIDE  is  a  remarkably  vigorous-growing  va- 
riety, with  large  and  handsome  foliage,  and  would  make  a  good 
pillar  rose.  Its  regularly-formed  flowers,  of  a  bright  pink  or 
rose,  are  produced  in  clusters  and  open  well.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  desirable  of  this  class,  and  owes  its  origin  to  Laffay. 

PRINCESS  ROYAL  is  a  very  robust  rose,  almost  equal  to  the 
preceding  in  vigor.  Its  young  leaves  and  branches  have  a  red 
tinge,  and  its  cupped  flowers  are  of  a  deep  crimson-purple,  mar- 
bled and  spotted  with  red.  Although  not  qi«te  double  when 
fully  open,  they  are  very  beautiful  when  in  bud.  A  moss  rose, 
however  double,  is  peculiar  only  in  bud,  for  when  fully  expanded, 
the  mossy  calyx  must  inevitably  be  hidden. 

UNIQUE  DE  PROVENCE  is  precisely  similar  in  robust  habit  and 
abundant  bloom  to  the  old  Unique.  With  the  same  large  clus- 
ters of  beautiful  white  flowers,  it  unites  the  mossy  calyx,  and  is 
a  most  excellent  and  desirable  rose. 

ZOE  is  a  very  singular  and  beautiful  variety,  with  globular 
and  rose-colored  flowers  similar  to  the  Common  Moss.  Its  pe- 
culiar beauty  resides  in  the  moss,  which  covers  most  abundantly 
its  buds,  leaves,  and  branches.  From  this  peculiarity  arises  one 
of  its  names,  Mousseuse  Partout. 

Like  all  other  roses,  and  even  in  a  greater  degree,  the  Moss 
Rose  requires  a  light  and  very  rich  soil,  with  a  dry  bottom. 
Many  of  them  make  very  beautiful  beds  and  patches,  when 
planted  in  rich  soil  and  kept  well  pegged  down.  A  good  supply 
of  stable  manure  should  be  given  them  in  the  autumn,  to  be 
washed  down  about  their  roots  by  the  winter  rains.  They  do 
not  generally  require  or  bear  so  much  pruning  as  other  roses,  but 
their  bloom  may  sometimes  be  prolonged  by  shortening  part  of 
the  shoots  close,  and  only  the  tips  of  the  remainder.  When 
properly  cultivated,  few  objects  can  be  more  beautiful  than  these 
roses,  either  singly  or  in  masses.  Without  making  so  brilliant  a 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  271 

show  as  some  other  classes,  the  moss  which  envelops  them  im- 
parts a  touch  of  graceful  beauty  belonging  to  no  other  flower. 

SCOTCH  ROSES. 

These  roses  are  all  derived  from  a  dwarf  rose  found  growing 
wild  in  Scotland  and  in  the  north  of  England.  They  are  distin- 
guished by  their  small  leaves,  abundant  bloom  and  delicate  hab- 
it. Being  perfectly  hardy,  they  are  desirable  for  beds  or  borders, 
in  which,  with  proper  arrangement  of  colors,  they  show  beauti- 
fully, sometimes  two  weeks  before  other  roses  open,  and  produ- 
cing flowers  all  along  the  stem.  Rose  growers  describe,  on  their 
catalogues,  two  or  three  hundred  varieties,  but  of  them  all,  scarce- 
ly forty  or  fifty  are  distinct ;  of  these  the  best  three  are  the  fol- 
lowing : 

COUNTESS  OF  GLASGOW  is  a  very  pretty  and  brilliant  dark 
rose,  blooming  abundantly. 

Q,UEEN  OF  MAY  is  a  fine  and  distinct  variety,  of  a  bright  pink 
color. 

WILLIAM  THE  FOURTH  is  an  excellent  variety,  of  luxuriant 
growth.  Its  flowers  are  pure  white,  and  among  the  largest  of  the 
class. 

BRIAR  ROSES. 

These  roses  are  distinguished  by  their  small,  rough  foliage 
and  briar  habit.  They  include  the  Sweet-Briar,  the  Hybrid 
Sweet-Briar,  and  the  Austrian  Briar.  The  Sweet-Briar  is  found 
in  various  parts  of  this  country  and  in  Europe,  and  is  distin- 
guished by  the  peculiar  delightful  fragrance  of  its  leaves.  Its 
simple  little  flower,  found  among  the  hedges,  has  been  long  a  fa- 
vorite, and,  under  the  name  of  Eglantine,  has  been  often  the 
theme  of  poets. 

The  Hybrid  Sweet-Briar  is  allied  to  the  preceding,  but  has 
larger  foliage  and  is  of  more  robust  growth.  Many  roses  have 
been  placed  in  this  class  and  among  the  Sweet-Briars  that  have 
none  of  the  peculiar  scent  of  the  Sweet-Briars  ;  and  hence,  again, 
the  necessity  of  classing  together  these  and  the  Austrian  Briars, 


272  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 


respecting  which  there  is  much  confusion.  The  true  Austrian 
Rose  is  a  native  of  the  South  of  Europe,  and  is  a  clearly  distinct 
rose,  but  some  have  been  called  Austrian  which  have  scarcely  any 
of  the  characters  of  the  original  rose.  All  three,  however,  are 
Briars,  that  is,  they  produce  their  flowers  on  short  joints  all  along 
the  stem,  and  have  the  peculiar  rough  briery  leaves.  We  there- 
fore place  them  all  together,  attaching  as  before  the  name  of  the 
old  class.  The  best  of  those  described  at  the  end  of  the  work  are 
the  following : 

CELESTIAL.  S.  B.,  is  a  small  cupped  rose,  very  double  and  fra- 
grant, of  a  pale  flesh-color  and  very  pretty. 

COPPER  AUSTRIAN,  A.  B.,  is  a  very  singular  looking  rose, 
blooming  well  in  this  climate.  The  inside  of  the  flower  is  of  a 
coppery-red,  and  the  outside  inclining  to  pale  yellow  or  sulphur. 
It  is  desirable  for  its  singularity. 

DOUBLE  MARGINED  HIP,  H.  S.  B.,  is  a  Hybrid  Sweet-Briar  of 
luxuriant  growth,  almost  adapted  for  a  pillar.  Its  form  is  cupped, 
and  its  color  creamy-white,  shaded  with  pink. 

DOUBLE  YELLOW  PROVENCE  is  the  best  of  the  two  varieties 
which  compose  the  species  called  Sulphurea.  We  have  never 
seen  its  flowers,  and  English  writers  all  speak  of  the  great  diffi- 
culty of  making  it  bloom.  Rivers  recommends  to  bud  it  on  strong 
stocks,  and  says  that  it  blooms  most  profusely  in  the  warm,  dry 
climate  of  Florence  and  Genoa.  The  plant  grows  with  luxuri- 
ance and  produces  plenty  of  flower-buds,  which,  with  proper  cul- 
ture, would  probably  open  in  our  warm  climate,  which  is  very 
similar  to  that  of  Florence  and  Genoa.  Its  small  foliage  and 
slender,  thorny  wood,  place  it  fairly  among  the  Briars.  Its  flower 
is  so  good  that  it  is  well  worth  the  trouble  of  repeated  experiment 
to  obtain  a  good  bloom.  It  has  long  been  admired  and  exercised 
the  skill  of  rose  growers,  as  proved  by  the  following  passages 
from  some  old  works,  which  give  instructions  for  its  proper  cul- 
ture: 

"  Whereas  all  other  roses  are  best  natural,  this  is  best  inocu- 
lated upon  another  stock.  Others  thrive  and  bear  best  in  the 
sun ;  this,  in  the  shade :  therefore,  the  best  way  that  I  know  to 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  273 


cause  this  rose  to  bring  forth  fair  and  kindly  flowers,  is  performed 
after  this  manner.  First  in  the  stock  of  a  Francfort  Rose,  near 
the  ground,  put  in  the  bud  of  the  single  yellow  rose,  which  will 
quickly  shoot  to  a  good  length  ;  then,  half  a  yard  higher  than  the 
place  where  the  same  was  budded,  put  into  it  a  bud  of  the  double 
yellow  rose,  which  growing,  the  suckers  must  be  kept  from  the 
root,  and  all  the  buds  rubbed  off,  except  those  of  the  kind  desired, 
which,  being  grown  big  enough  to  bear  (which  will  be  in  two 
years),  it  must  in  winter  be  pruned  very  near,  cutting  off  all  the 
small  shoots,  and  only  leaving  the  biggest,  cutting  off  the  tops  of 
them  also,  as  far  as  they  are  small.  Then  in  the  spring,  when 
the  buds  for  leaves  come  forth,  rub  off  the  smallest  of  them,  leav- 
ing only  some  few  of  the  biggest,  which,  by  reason  of  the  strength 
of  the  stock,  affordeth  more  nourishment  than  any  other,  and  the 
agreeable  nature  of  the  single  yellow  rose,  from  whence  it  is  im- 
mediately nourished,  the  shoots  will  be  strong  and  able  to  bear 
out  the  flowers,  if  they  be  not  too  many,  which  may  be  prevented 
by  nipping  off  the  smallest  buds  for  flowers.  The  tree  should 
stand  something  shadowed,  and  not  too  much  in  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  and  in  a  standard  by  itself,  rather  than  under  a  wall."  That 
which  follows  is  from  a  book  called  Systema  Horticultures,  dated 
1688  : — "  There  is  no  flower-bearing  tree  that  yields  blossom  so 
beautiful  as  the  rose,  whereof  the  yellow  Provence  Rose  is  the 
most  beautiful  where  it  brings  forth  fair  and  kindly  flowers,  which 
hath  been  obtained  by  budding  a  single  yellow  rose  on  the  stock 
of  a  flourishing  Francfort  Rose  near  the  ground :  when  that  sin- 
gle yellow  is  well  grown,  in  that  branch  inoculate  your  double 
yellow  rose ;  then  cut  off  all  suckers  and  shoots  from  the  first  and 
second,  leaving  only  your  last,  which  must  be  pruned  very  near, 
leaving  but  few  buds,  which  will  have  the  more  nourishment, 
and  yield  the  fairer  and  more  entire  blossoms.  This  tree,  or  a 
layer  from  a  rose  of  the  same  kind,  delights  most,  and  blows  fair- 
est, in  a  cold,  moist,  and  shady  place,  and  not  against  a  hot  wall." 
PERSIAN  YELLOW,  A.  B.,  is  the  deepest  yellow  rose  known, 
and  is  a  highly  improved  edition  of  the  old  and  well-known  Har- 
risonii.  Its  flowers  are  more  double,  of  a  deeper  yellow  than  that 


274  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

rose,  and  supersede  it  entirely.  It  grows  freely,  blooms  abund- 
antly, and  its  small  double  flowers  possess  a  richness  of  color  un- 
equaled  by  any  other  rose.  No  garden  should  be  without  it. 

ROSE  ANGLE,  S.  B.,  is  an  excellent  variety,  with  very  fragrant 
foliage,  and  large  double  flowers  of  a  bright  rose  color.  It  is  one 
of  the  best  of  the  true  Eglantines. 

Like  the  Moss  Roses,  the  Briars  will  not  bear  much  pruning, 
and  require  merely  the  tips  of  the  shoots  to  be  cut  off. 

CLIMBING  ROSES. 

In  our  list  at  the  end  of  the  work,  we  divide  these  into  vari- 
ous distinctive  sub-divisions.  We  describe  here,  however,  so 
small  a  part  of  them,  that,  for  convenience  sake,  we  place  them 
together,  giving  at  the  same  time,  the  family  to  which  each  be- 
longs : 

AMADIS  is  one  of  the  best  Boursault  roses,  with  its  pendulous 
clusters  of  large  purplish-crimson  flowers.  This  family  is  marked 
by  its  long,  flexible,  reddish  shoots,  growing  rapidly,  and  perfectly 
hardy.  Their  smooth  bark  renders  them  desirable  for  stocks  to 
bud  upon,  and  a  fine  rose  of  this  class,  covering  a  trellis  and  bud- 
ded with  roses  of  various  colors,  would  present  a  beautiful  ap- 
pearance. 

DOUBLE  BLUSH  AYRSHIRE  is  a  most  vigorous  climber,  with 
a  pretty  flower,  and  will  grow  in  the  poorest  soil.  Like  many 
others  of  the  Ayrshire  family,  it  is  very  valuable  for  covering 
unsightly  places,  old  buildings,  and  decayed  trees.  They  bloom 
some  two  weeks  earlier  than  other  roses,  and  will  grow  in  soil 
where  others  would  scarcely  vegetate.  Hence  they  are  valuable 
for  covering  naked  sand-banks,  or  bare  spots  of  earth,  and  their 
roots  would  be  of  material  assistance  in  keeping  up  the  soil  of 
loose  banks.  Rivers  gives  an  extract  from  the  Dundee  Courier, 
showing  the  effect  produced  by  some  of  these  roses. 

"  Some  years  ago,  a  sand  pit  at  Ellangowan  was  filled  up  with 
rubbish  found  in  digging  a  well.  Over  this  a  piece  of  rock  was 
formed  for  the  growth  of  plants  which  prefer  such  situations,  and 
among  them  were  planted  some  half  dozen  plants  of  the  double 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  275 

Ayrshire  Rose,  raised  in  this  neighborhood  about  ten  years  ago. 
These  roses  now  most  completely  cover  the  whole  ground,  a  space 
of  thirty  feet  by  twenty.  At  present  they  are  in  full  bloom,  show- 
ing probably  not  less  than  ten  thousand  roses  in  this  small 
space." 

The  Ayrshire  Roses  are  also  valuable  for  weeping  trees ;  when 
budded  on  a  stock  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  the  branches 
quickly  reach  the  ground,  and  protecting  the  stem  from  the  sun  by 
their  close  foliage,  present  a  weeping  tree  of  great  beauty,  loaded 
with  flowers. 

DUNDEE  RAMBLER  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  double  of  the 
Ayrshire  Roses.  Its  color  is  white,  often  edged  with  pink,  and 
blooming  in  large  clusters.  It  is  a  very  desirable  variety. 

FELICITE  PERPETUELLE  is  a  most  beautiful  rose,  and  one  of 
the  very  best  of  the  Sempervirens,  or  Evergreen  family.  Its 
shoots  may  be  thinned  out,  but  not  shortened  ;  and  when  proper- 
ly cultivated,  it  produces  an  abundance  of  very  double  creamy- 
white  flowers,  shaped  like  a  double  'ranunculus.  The  Evergreen 
Roses  are  very  beautiful  and  desirable,  and  although  not  entirely 
evergreen  in  this  climate,  retain  their  foliage  very  late  in  the  sea- 
son. They  are  very  easy  of  cultivation,  and  most  luxuriant 
climbers  over  naked  trees,  old  houses,  fences  and  walls,  or  along 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  which  they  will  soon  cover  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  all  weeds,  and  present  a  large  mass  of  rich,  glossy  fo- 
liage and  abundant  bloom.  When  thus  planted,  the  large  weeds 
should  be  pulled  up  until  the  plant  fairly  covers  the  ground,  when 
no  more  attention  will  be  needed.  They  are  well  adapted  for 
training  up  columns,  and  we  know  of  few  things  more  beautiful 
than  a  temple  or  pergole  formed  of  numerous  columns,  with  Ev- 
ergreen Roses  growing  luxuriantly  upon  them  and  festooned 
gracefully  between.  Nothing,  indeed,  can  be  more  gracefully 
beautiful  than  festoons,  wherever  they  can  be  made.  They  con- 
stitute the  chief  beauty  of  the  vine-clad  fields  of  Italy,  and  there 
would  be  no  less  beauty  in  occasional  festooning  of  roses  trained 
between  pillars  or  the  trees  of  a  lawn.  They  are  also  very  beau- 
tiful when  budded  on  high  standards,  their  dark  green  glossy 


276  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

foliage  weeping  to  the  ground,  and  forming  a  fine  dome  or  pyra- 
mid of  leaf  and  bloom.  When  pruned  in  the  winter,  the  branches 
may  be  thinned  out,  but  not  shortened ;  for  if  pruned  close,  they 
will  make  a  luxuriant  growth  the  next  season,  but  will  produce 
no  flowers. 

GARLAND  is  a  most  vigorous  hybrid  climber,  blooming  in  im- 
mense clusters  of  fragrant  creamy-white  flowers,  changing  to 
blush  after  expansion.  When  in  full  bloom,  the  contrast  of 
the  large  white  clusters  with  the  bright  green  foliage  is  very 
beautiful. 

INDICA  MAJOR  is  a  hybrid  climbing  rose,  of  most  luxuriant 
growth  and  nearly  evergreen  foliage.  Its  flowers  are  very  large, 
double  and  of  a  delicate  rose  color.  The  very  rapid  growth  of 
this  rose  makes  it  excellent  for  covering  old  buildings.  We  re- 
collect being  shown  last  spring,  at  the  Bartram  garden  of  Phila- 
delphia, a  fine  old  plant  which  had  covered  the  whole  side  of  the 
house,  and  presented  a  beautiful  appearance.  Buist  states  it  to 
be  this  variety. 

JAUNE  SERIN  is  a  luxuriant-growing  variety  of  the  Bank- 
sian  Rose,  with  yellow  flowers  of  larger  size  than  those  of  the 
old  Yellow  Banksia.  The  Banksian  Roses  require  a  green- 
house in  this  climate,  and,  trained  against  the  back  wall,  are 
very  beautiful.  We  recollect  seeing,  at  the  Botanic  Garden  at  Na- 
ples, a  very  large  plant  of  the  Banksian  Rose,  the  main  stem  being 
six  inches  in  diameter,  and  branching  off  into  a  dozen  others, 
fifty  feet  or  more  long.  In  the  Southern  States  they  would  grow 
well  in  the  open  air,  and  being  most  vigorous  climbers,  would 
soon  cover  a  house  or  trellis,  and,  with  their  small  but  most  abun- 
dant flowers  interspersed  among  the  smooth  glossy-green  foliage, 
would  form  an  object  of  surpassing  beauty. 

LAURE  DAVOUST  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Multi- 
flora  Roses,  hardy  and  of  most  luxuriant  growth. '  It  has  larger 
flowers  and  handsomer  foliage  than  any  of  the  other  Multiflora 
Roses,  and  blooms  in  immense  clusters  of  perfect  flowers,  chang- 
ing from  white  to  pink.  For  covering  houses  or  trellises  it  is 
very  desirable. 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  277 

MADAME  D'ARBLAY  is  a  truly  gigantic  hybrid  climber,  per- 
fectly hardy,  and  with  strong.  Bourbon-like  foliage.  It  blooms 
in  large  clusters  of  pure  white  flowers,  and  is  a  truly  excellent 
variety. 

MELANIE  DE  MONTJOIE  is  an  Evergreen  Rose  of  much  beauty. 
Its  abundant  and  glossy  dark-green  foliage  contrasts  beautifully 
with  its  large  pure  white  flowers. 

MYRIANTHES  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Evergreen 
Roses.  Its  flowers  are  most  perfectly  shaped,  and  of  a  very  deli- 
cate rose  color. 

QJJEEN  OF  THE  PRAIRIES  is  a  most  superb  variety  of  the 
Rubifolia  or  Michigan  Rose.  The  double  varieties  of  the  origi- 
nal Michigan  Rose  have  nearly  all  been  produced  by  Samuel 
Feast,  of  Baltimore,  while  a  few  new  varieties  owe  their  origin 
to  Joshua  Pierce,  of  Washington.  They  are  remarkable  for 
their  perfectly  hardy  nature,  braving  equally  well  the  frosts  of 
Canada  or  the  heat  of  Louisiana.  The  leaves  are  large,  rather 
rough,  and  of  a  rich  dark-green.  They  grow  with  unexampled 
rapidity,  exceeding  in  this  respect  any  of  the  climbing  roses,  and. 
would  cover  old  buildings  or  naked  ground  in  a  very  short  space 
of  time.  They  bloom  after  the  other  summer  roses  are  mostly 
gone,  and  produce  their  flowers  abundantly  in  large  clusters  of 
different  shades,  from  the  pale  delicate  blush  of  Superba  to  the 
rich  deep  rose  of  Queen  of  the  Prairies*. 

This  last  is  the  best,  and  of  the  most  luxuriant  growth.  Its 
large  flowers  are  of  a  peculiar  cupped  form,  almost  globular,  when 
in  bud,  and  altogether  of  very  perfect  shape.  They  are  of  deep 
rose  color,  with  a  white  stripe  in  the  centre  of  each  petal.  This 
rose  is  truly  superb,  and,  for  our  cold  winters  and  hot  sunr  an 
unequaled  climber.  It  would  be  a  fine  rose  to  cover  a  trellis  or 
building,  and  then  bud  into  its  branches  a  dozen  different  Re- 
montant or  Bourbon  Roses  of  various  colors.  The  tout  en- 
semble would  be  superb. 

SUPERBA  is  the  best  pale  colored  rose  of  the  same  class.  Its 
very  double  flowers  are  smaller  than  the  preceding,  but  are  very 
perfectly  cupped  and  of  a  delicate  blush  color,  almost  white.  It» 


278  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

beautiful  clusters  are  produced  most  abundantly,  and  when  train- 
ed on  a  pillar,  trellis,  or  house,  or  gracefully  wreathed  in  festoons, 
their  effect  is  strikingly  elegant.  Both  these  varieties  are  valua- 
ble acquisitions  to  the  list  of  climbing  roses. 

TRIOMPHE  DE  BOLLWILLER  is  a  very  fine  Evergreen  Rose, 
rather  tender  in  this  climate,  but  valuable  for  its  tendency  to 
bloom  in  the  autumn.  Its  flowers  are  very  large,  double,  fragrant 
and  globular,  and  their  color  is  a  blush  or  creamy  white.  At  the 
South  where  it  would  not  be  killed  by  the  cold  weather,  this 
would  be  one  of  the  most  desirable  climbing  roses. 

WHITE  BANKSIA  is  a  beautiful  little  rose  about  half  an  inch 
in  diameter,  blooming  abundantly  in  small  and  pure  white  clus- 
ters with  a  slight  perfume  like  that  of  the  violet.  Both  this  and 
Jaune  Serin  are  very  elegant  when  in  full  bloom  on  a  well-grown 
plant,  either  on  the  wall  of  a  green  house  or  in  the  open  air  at 
the  South. 

We  have  endeavored  in  the  preceding  pages  to  convey  all  the 
information  requisite  to  guide  the  amateur  in  the  culture  and 
selection  of  choice  varieties  of  the  rose.  In  rose  culture,  as  in 
everything  where  there  is  room  for  the  exercise  of  human  skill, 
progress  is  the  watchword  and  the  result ;  and  while  we  deem 
the  instructions  given  in  these  pages  the  best  in  the  present 
state  of  knowledge  on  this  subject,  we  shall  hail  with  pleasure 
any  improvement  upon  them.  The  preparation  of  a  portion  of 
this  work  has  afforded  us  pleasant  recreation  in  the  intervals  of 
leisure  from  business,  and  for  the  more  toilsome  part  we  shall  feel 
abundantly  repaid  if  we  are  found  to  have  thrown  one  mite  into 
the  constantly  increasing  treasury  of  horticultural  taste.  That 
this  taste  is  increasing  we  deem  one  of  the  best  signs  of  the  times, 
an  evidence  that  men  are  beginning  to  discover  that  the  accumu- 
lation of  wealth  is  not  the  whole  business  or  pleasure  of  life.  In 
a  true  love  for  trees  and  plants  there  is  always  something  elevat- 
ing. A  love  for  wealth  and  its  accumulation  is  inseparable  from 
idolatry,  but  a  love  for  trees  and  plants  is  productive  of  the  best 
results  in  a  mind  properly  constituted.  It.  not  only  preserves  it 


GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION.  279 


from  groveling  thoughts  and  desires,  but  also  leads  it  to  purer 
and  higher  aspirations.  Not  only  is  there  wisely  implanted  in 
us  a  general  love  for  these  things,  but  an  attachment  to  individ- 
ual trees  and  shrubs  which  have  been  planted  by  our  own  hands, 
or  by  the  good  and  the  wise  of  past  generations.  Men  every- 
where are  prone  to  be  unsettled,  and  to  wander  wherever  novelty 
may  lead  them,  to  the  utter  destruction  of  right  mental  training. 
To  counteract  this  there  is  nothing  so  effective  as  attachment  to 
particular  localities  and  all  their  features,  whether  trees,  moun- 
tains or  streams.  Nothing  gives  such  a  depth  of  meaning  to  the 
word  home  and  creates  so  strong  a  determination  to  preserve  it  sa- 
cred by  the  performance  of  every  duty  of  a  good  citizen.  It  should 
therefore  be  the  desire  of  every  man  to  provide  a  pleasant  home 
for  his  children,  for  upon  a  happy  childhood  depends  far  more 
than  is  generally  supposed  the  character  of  the  man.  The  father 
should  encourage,  as  one  element  of  happiness  a,  love  for  vege- 
tation in  all  its  forms  of  created  beauty,  whether  tree,  shrub 
or  flower.  The  child  who  has  thus  been  educated  and  taught 
to  look  upon  all  these  objects  of  his  attachment  as  visible  proofs 
of  Divine  beneficence  will  go  forth  into  the  world  armed  with  a 
shield  more  effective  than  a  thousand  admonitions,  and  when 
temptation  assails  him,  will  find  no  slight  defense  in  a  recollec- 
tion of  his  early  home,  of  the  trees  under  which  he  has  so  often 
played,  or  read,  or  thought,  and  the  flowers  whose  glowing  colors 
have  so  often  charmed  his  eye.  We  are  very  certain  this  is  no 
mere  sentiment  or  fancy  of  the  brain,  for  we  feel  assured  that  nei- 
ther vice  m>r  immorality,  nor  hardness  of  heart,  nor  disregard  of 
the  feelings  and  welfare  of  others,  can  readily  exist  where  the  mind 
is  thoroughly  imbued  with  a  love  for  trees  and  flowers,  and  with  a 
full  appreciation  of  the  many  sources  of  delight  bountifully  be- 
stowed upon  man  in  the  various  objects  of  exquisite  beauty  in 
the  vegetable  world. 

We  have  wandered  somewhat  from  our  subject,  but  we  would 
gladly  write  still  more,  if  we  could  only  convince  our  readers 
of  the  great  importance  of  this  love  for  trees  and  plants — 
and  for  roses  among  them — and  of  its  highly  conservative  influ- 


280  GARDEN    CLASSIFICATION. 

ence.  Let  every  man,  therefore,  that  feels  convinced  of  the  truth 
of  our  remarks,  plant  a  tree  or  a  rose,  and  let  his  children  care 
for  it  as  for  an  old  and  intimate  friend  ;  and  they  may  rest 
assured  that  either  mentally  or  morally  they  will  be  none  the 
worse,  but  all  the  better  for  the  pleasant  associations  connected 
with  its  form,  for  the  joyous  hope  springing  with  its  leaf,  and  for 
the  serious  reflection  accompanying  its  fall ;  when  bud  and  bloom 
and  decay  fill  the  mind  with  pure  and  pleasant  thoughts  of  the 
past  and  hopeful  anticipations  of  the  future. 


THE    END. 


COMMERCIAL    GARDEN 

AND 

NURSERY, 


OF 


PARSONS   &    CO., 

FLUSHING,'NEAR  NEW  YORK. 


THE  Proprietors  of  this  establishment  invite  attention  to 
their  large  stock  of 

TREES  AND  PLANTS, 

comprising  all  the  desirable  vrieties  of  APPLES,  PEARS, 
CHERRIES,  PLUMS,  PEACHES,  APRICOTS,  NECTA- 
RINES, QUINCES,  FIGS,  ALMONDS,  RASPBERRIES. 
STRAWBERRIES,  GOOSEBERRIES,  CURRANTS,  ES- 
CULENT ROOTS,  &c. 

Their  personal  attention  to  the  propagating  department  en- 
ables them  to  ensure  the  correctness  of  every  variety  they  send 
out.  They  invite  particular  attention  to  their  large  collection 
of  thrifty  CHERRIES,  and  also  to  their  fine  stock  of  FOR- 
EIGN GRAPES,  in  pots,  produced  from  bearing  vines. 

Their  stock  of  ORNAMENTAL  TREES,  SHRUBS,  VINES, 
£c.,  is  annually  enriched  by  new  varieties  from  Europe,  and 
their  ROSES  comprise  all  the  finest  kinds,  in  large  quantities. 


Catalogues  furnished  gratis,  on  application  to  the   Proprietors  by  mail 
and  orders  forwarded  in  the  same  manner  will  receive  prompt  attention. 


Owing  to  the  approach  of  the  business  season  it  was  found  impos- 
sible tojinish  the  General  Descriptive  List  of  some  3000  Roses  in  HTM 
for  this  edition.  It  will  be  published  during  the  ensuing  winter. 


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